Jedi & the Scoundrel
by lyricangell
Summary: Could it be that she was unhappy? Atton himself was happier than he had ever been. He had worried for awhile that he might grow bored with Liara as time went by but that had proven false. If anything, he relied on her more and more each day...
1. Chapter 1

_What was I thinking?_

Atton couldn't believe he had told her about his past. But when she confronted him on Nar Shadaa about 'Atton' not being his real name, he had been caught off guard. And he was _never_ caught off guard. And when she pressed him for details, he just couldn't stop himself from telling her everything. He had been so angry. With her, for making him confess it all. With himself, for worrying over how she was taking it.

He had assumed she was ok with everything. Well, as ok as someone can be when they find that someone they've been travelling with is a murderer. But he couldn't be sure. She was just so hard to read! She never seemed to let her emotions show. Oh, she was definitely capable of empathy and compassion. But she did all her good deeds like it was no big deal and was something everyone would do in her shoes. It was one of the things he lov...

_ No. _He stopped himself from finishing the word.

It was one of things he _admired_ most about her.

He had decided to play it off and act like it didn't bother him one bit that she knew about his past. That was, until they landed on Dantooine and met up with Mical.

She was talking with Mical at the moment. Atton wasn't paying too close attention to what they were saying. He was sizing up Mical.

Mical had perfect blonde hair that seemed to stay in place no matter what he did. Atton's own dark hair was always falling over his eyes. And Mical had perfect blue eyes that matched the skies over Dantooine. Atton couldn't help but think about how drab his own dark eyes must look in comparison. Mical had that perfect way of speaking...

Atton wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth.

_ Look at the way he's looking at her! And the way he's talking to her, like he's in awe of her. We need to get out of here quick before this fracking murglak invites himself along._

The thought had no sooner entered his mind when Atton's attention was caught by what Mical was saying.

"If you would have me, I can apply my knowledge and skills to helping you find the answers you seek."

Atton glared at him and unconsciously clenched his fists. "Look, we're already full up. We don't need anyone else. We travel light."

Mical looked at Atton like he hadn't noticed him before.

_Probably hadn't, _Atton thought angrily, _considering the way he's been ogling Liara._

Liara grabbed Atton's hand and pulled him into the Enclave hallway. She turned to him, still holding his hand. "Atton, we need all the help we can get. And he seems capable."

Atton barely heard what she said. His breath had caught in his throat when Liara had taken his hand. And despite his gloves, his fingers were tingling where they were in contact with hers. He wondered if she felt it, too. Or if she noticed what he was feeling.

Apparently so, as she stopped speaking and stood still. She looked up at him and swallowed. Then she abruptly let go of his hand and fixed her face back into its usual emotionless expression.

They looked at each other for a moment. Atton composed himself and lifted his chin.

"Liara, this guy is a historian. What kind of help could he possibly be?"

"The Force has led us here for a reason. You are new to being a Jedi, but your past has made you familiar enough with the Force to know it is a hard thing to understand."

Atton winced inwardly when she brought up his past.

"I can feel that Mical is meant to travel with us." She held up her hand before Atton could interrupt her. "Please, Atton, I need you to trust me."

Atton said nothing. He looked away from her, and then slowly nodded.

"Is there a problem?" Mical asked as he walked up to them.

Atton grunted in reply.

"No, there is no problem. We would all welcome your help, Mical," Liara said, never taking her eyes off of Atton.

x x x x x

"So, who's the new guy?" Bao-Dur asked Atton when they returned to the Ebon Hawk.

Atton ignored the question. He was watching Liara lead Mical down the hall towards Kreia's favored spot in the Port Dormitory. Bao-Dur noticed where Atton's attention was, but said nothing. He knew how Atton felt about the General, Liara. Atton had already approached him for his opinion on whether or not the General could ever see Atton the way Atton saw her.

Bao-Dur hadn't known what to say to him. He knew Liara from the war, but she was a General. He was just a tech. He told Atton as much. But now that they had all been traveling together for several months, he felt he could now answer Atton's question.

He had caught the subtle differences in how she spoke to Atton as opposed to everyone else. He had seen her steal little glances of Atton when she was sure no one was looking. He felt how she tensed up slightly whenever Atton was in the room, and would get more and more anxious the closer she happened to be to him.

Yes, he was confident he could answer Atton's query now. But he wouldn't. The General obviously did not want her feelings known. And if it wasn't for the fact that he knew her so well, he doubted even he would know. He was certain no one else knew, not even the old woman, Kreia. The General excelled at keeping her face neutral, her shields up, no matter what was going on. So he would keep her secret.

"Were you saying something, Bao?" Atton asked, exhaling slowly.

"I was asking who this new man was."

"Pfft. Some egg-head that's going to be tagging along with us."

Bao-Dur sensed that Atton was not as nonchalant about this new passenger as he feigned to be, but he kept quiet.

Atton half-sat against the workbench, bracing himself with his hands. He watched Bao-Dur as he repaired a minor breach in the wall of the garage.

"Bao-Dur? Are we ready to go?" asked Liara as she walked into the room. Atton immediately stood up straight, watching her instead of Bao-Dur.

"Oh! Atton... I didn't see you there."

Bao-Dur smiled to himself when he felt the General's instant nervousness. Atton said nothing.

"We are ready for lift off, General," Bao-Dur said a few seconds later.

Liara nodded at him, turned and nodded at Atton, then left the garage.

With his hands in his pockets, Atton softly kicked the workbench on his way out.

"Guess I'll be in the cockpit if anyone has need of my charms," he said a little louder than he needed to.

Bao-Dur chuckled to himself as he got back to work.

x x x x x

Liara sighed heavily as she tossed and turned in her bunk. She could hear Mira and Visas deep breathing, indicating they were fast asleep. She could see Kreia meditating in the corner of the room. Liara sensed that Kreia was in a profound trance. Liara usually meditated herself, rather than sleep, but she couldn't calm her mind enough to successfully do it. And evidently sleep was going to evade her on this night as well.

She couldn't get Atton out of her head. When she had first met him, she thought he was a self-serving chauvinist. But as they continued to travel together she uncovered depths to him she had no idea were there. When he confessed his past, she forgave him. Who was she to cast stones when it was she who ordered Bao-Dur to activate the Mass Shadow Generator. She had condemned thousands to their death with that order. Not only the Mandalorians, but many Republic soldiers and Jedi, as well. She would always carry those deaths with her.

Liara knew Atton was filled with self-loathing and guilt over the tortures and murders he had committed. They had an unspoken bond based on their understanding of each other's pain. She knew her feelings for him were growing into something beyond camaraderie, and she was confident that Atton's feelings were moving beyond lust for her. But she knew it was dangerous to act on these feelings. Jedi were forbidden to love, and her self-exile made it even harder for her to open up to anyone.

She sighed again before finally abandoning her efforts to sleep. She got up and gathered her things so she could take a long hot shower.

In the main hold, she encountered Mandalore. He was studying the holoprojector.

"What are you still doing up?" Liara asked him.

Mandalore shrugged his shoulders. "I don't sleep too well. Besides, I only need an hour or two here and there."

"I see. Well, is there anyone in the 'fresher? I was hoping to catch a shower to help myself relax."

"Nope, everyone's asleep. Have at it."

"Thanks," Liara said on her way out of the hold.

Mandalore was grateful he had his helmet to cover his face, because he was struggling not to burst out laughing at what he knew was coming in the next few moments.

x x x x x

Liara went into the refresher and shut the door behind her.

_Someone must have just finished showering. This place is so full of steam, I can barely see!_

She put her things down on the little table and headed toward the shower to get it running. But as she neared it, she saw someone drying off. Liara wasn't sure who it was, only that it was a man since all the women were accounted for in their dorm. She started backing away slowly, hoping to get out of there (and Force Choke Mandalore for tricking her) before whoever it was noticed her.

As if on cue, the man turned his head so he could start toweling his hair. Liara gasped.

_It was Atton!_

He must have heard her gasp, because his head jerked in her direction. He looked as surprised as she was that she was there. Then a slow smile came upon his face. He started walking towards her, dropping the towel, and...

_Oh, Force! He's almost completely naked!_

He had a towel tied around his waist. It might as well not have been there, though. Liara couldn't help but see, well, everything. She had to admit that Atton was very well put together. He was finely muscled, definitely more so than his usual attire let on. He had a few tattoos on his upper arms, something else she never knew about. He didn't have any hair on his chest, save a faint dark trail leading...down.

She quickly turned and fled toward the door, her cheeks burning with her embarrassment. She started opening the door when Atton's hand pushed it back closed.

"What brings _you_ in here, Lee?" Atton asked her, the enjoyment all too evident in his voice. "Did you see me come in here and decide to try and take advantage of me in this vulnerable state?"

He most certainly did not look vulnerable. He seemed completely at ease, not trying to hide his naked body in any way.

Liara angrily turned back to him, careful to keep her eyes on Atton's. He was smiling at her, his hair wet and falling into his eyes, his arm still outstretched holding the door closed. Liara gulped. She had always thought Atton looked more attractive than usual with his hair in his eyes. Anytime she saw him like that, her stomach would do an extra flip. She mentally shook it off.

"No, I most certainly did not! Mandalore told me there was no one in here! I just wanted to take a shower to help me relax so I can sleep!"

"Well, the shower's all yours. You go ahead and get undressed; I don't mind you getting started while I finish up here."

"How generous of you!" she replied heatedly. "But I think I will pass on the shower after all. So if you don't mind moving your arm, I will be on my way and we can pretend this whole ordeal never happened."

Atton had never seen her so uneasy and irate. He had never seen her look so innocent. He allowed himself to hope that he was able to have this effect on her because she felt something for him.

So instead of removing his arm, he put his other one on the door so that Liara was effectively trapped between the door, his arms, and him. Liara shrank back, trying to make herself smaller while ensuring nothing on her touched anything on him. Atton leaned in closer to her.

"Hold on. I feel kinda bad that you won't be getting that shower. But I happen to know of a rather fun way for you to relax. Trust me, you won't have any problems sleeping after," he whispered in her ear. Liara could hear his voice getting deeper, and she also detected something else in his voice, something that she was unfamiliar with.

Atton smelled her hair. He heard her quick intake of breath. He softly kissed her neck. They were standing so close that he was sure she had to be able to...feel...how much he wanted her.

_Frack! She was so intoxicating!_

He lifted his head and looked down at her. She looked back at him. Atton could feel her fear and anger and confusion. He could feel those feelings intensify as he leaned in even closer to her. He also detected desire. She kept it hidden very well, but it was there. He bent his head to kiss her lips.

She put her hands on his bare chest, stopping him mere inches from her. He looked at her quizzically.

She struggled to breathe, so she could speak.

"Atton. Please. Don't do this. I... I... can't."

"Why not?" he asked, taking her hands in his, holding them to his chest. "I know you want this as much as I do. Why should we stop?"

She shook her head. "Please. Let me go."

Atton stood there for a few moments, looking down at her, meeting her gaze. Her chest heaved as she fought to bring her breathing under control. He finally released her hands and stepped back. She flung open the door and fled.

Atton could hear Mandalore's deep laugh as Liara ran by. He also felt it in the air when she Force Pushed Mandalore out of his chair and across the room. But her uncharacteristic outburst only served to make him laugh harder. Atton heard the Port Dorm door slide shut.

Atton shut the refresher door, resting his forehead on it. He could still smell her scent; taste her skin on his lips. He pushed himself away from the door and headed back to the shower.

_ I think I'll take a cold one this time around._


	2. Chapter 2

They were all gathered in the Main Hold discussing their next move.

"Korriban is our next stop. Once we have found Master Lonna Vash, we will head back to Dantooine," Liara said.

"Korriban, great!" Atton replied sarcastically. "The galaxy's favorite vacation spot, filled with the tombs of dead Sith Lords, an old Sith Academy littered with decaying bodies, and the overwhelming feeling of evil that comes upon you the moment you step onto the planet's surface. Loads of fun."

Mical looked at Atton, confused. "Actually, I think it would be a terrible place to vacation. And I don't see how anyone could have any fun there."

Atton glared back at Mical. "Would you lighten up for one second?"

Mical blushed and said nothing.

"Yes, well, if you two are quite done, could we set course for the Sith planet, then? The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave," Kreia said, not trying to hide her contempt for Atton.

Atton met her gaze and gave her a small smirk.

Liara sighed inwardly. Kreia thought that Atton was a fool, one to be used then cast aside as soon as his usefulness was spent. She strongly discouraged Liara from any kind of attachment to anyone in her crew, especially to Atton. What made the situation even more trying for Liara was that Atton was completely aware of Kreia's feelings toward him. So he seemed to delight in bugging her in any way he could.

"Atton, do you mind?" Liara asked.

Atton stood up straight and gave her an exaggerated salute. "Yes, General, on your order!" And he headed to the cockpit to get the Ebon Hawk ready for the journey.

Kreia made a sound of disgust before leaving the hold.

"So, how long is this trip to Korriban going to take us?" asked Mira.

"A little over a week. So we might as well all get comfortable," answered Mandalore. And with that he left and headed to the guys' dorm.

"He has been to Korriban before," said Visas, knowingly.

"Really? Strange that he didn't say anything…" Liara wondered.

Visas said nothing and went to the cargo hold to practice some new lightsaber techniques.

Liara realized she didn't really know too much about Mandalore. She was a little surprised to hear that he had been to Korriban before and was contemplating asking him about it.

She headed quietly toward his dorm. She entered the room to find Mandalore with his back to her. He was sitting on his bunk looking at something. Liara snuck a peek over his shoulders and saw a holovid of…_Revan!_

There was no mistaking it, Liara knew Revan well from their academy days on Dantooine. Liara and Revan had been such good friends, that when Revan left to join the war against the Mandalorians, Liara and Malak were the first to join her. Revan looked older in the holovid, more world-weary, but still achingly beautiful to all who saw her.

The hologram Revan was speaking. "…arth behind. Where I am going, I can't take anyone I care about. That includes you, Canderous. Carth is doing what he can for the Republic and I need you to gather the Mandalorians. I have told you before that you would make a great Mandalore and I meant it. You have the Mandalore helm; use it to reunite your clan. The galaxy will need more than just the Republic and Jedi; it's going to need you, too." Revan stopped talking and seemed to be trying to find the right words to say next.

_Revan at a loss for words? That's not like her at all…_ Liara thought.

Revan seemed able to grasp the words that had eluded her. She straightened herself, lifted her chin and said, "As for our last conversation, I can't give you an answer. Not yet. I hope I will one day see you again. I hope I will be given the chance to explain everything to you. Until then." The message ended, leaving the image of Revan frozen on the holovid.

Liara watched, stunned, as Mandalore softly put his fingers to the side of Revan's face. Liara knew he couldn't feel anything, it was just a projected image, but he did it like he _could_ feel Revan. Liara backed out slowly then ran to the hold, grateful that Mandalore hadn't seen her. She didn't want him to know that she had witnessed something so private.

Mandalore was part of the team that destroyed the Star Forge? Liara had heard rumors that there was a Mandalorian in the group, but the Republic naturally didn't say anything about him specifically since most people were still feeling the effects of the Mandalorian Wars.

"I wonder if that's when he went to Korriban?" Liara asked no one in particular.

"Statement: Canderous went to Korriban 4.6 standard years ago with Revan and her motley crew."

Liara turned to see HK-47. She had only finished the repairs on HK-47 about 2 days ago, but she hadn't been able to ask him too many questions. HK-47 discovered that there were "copies" of him all around the galaxy, the HK-50s, almost immediately after reactivation. He was so livid over it, that he had been non-responsive to any queries about him or where he had come from. So Liara was more than a little surprised to hear from HK-47 on the matter.

"Canderous? You mean Mandalore?" she asked.

"Affirmation: Yes, that was the Mandalorian meatbag's name before he donned the title of 'Mandalore the Preserver'. He, T3-M4, and I travelled with Revan and 5 others on her quest to destroy the Star Forge."

_So HK-47, T3-M4, and Mandalore were all with Revan on the Star Forge? And now they are all on the same ship, the Ebon Hawk, once again with me? The Force does indeed work in mysterious ways._

"So you knew Revan?"

"Irritated Answer: Did I not just say so, Master? Revan is the one who built me."

Liara looked at him doubtfully. "Revan built you? You seem a little… hostile. I can't believe she designed you."

"Indignant Answer: I was built by Revan during her 'Dark Lord' days. Master Revan utilized my talents quite frequently then. Ahh, those were the days."

"HK, I need to talk to Liara. So beat it," Mandalore ordered as he joined them in the hold.

"Declaration: As much as I may respect you and your methods of terminating other mewling meatbags, you are not my master."

"HK, please, do as he asks," Liara requested.

"Statement: As you desire, Master. Signing off."

Mandalore wasted no time in letting Liara know what he wanted.

"When we get to Korriban, I won't be going with you."

Liara looked back at him, puzzled. "Why not?"

"Too many memories. I've been there once; I have no desire to go again."

"Does this have anything to do with Revan?" she asked him.

Mandalore stood there looking at her. Well, Liara guessed he was looking at her. With that damn helmet on, she couldn't see his face at all.

"What do you know of Revan and I?" he questioned, his tone telling Liara to tread carefully.

"Nothing. HK said you had travelled with her, and I knew her from the Mandalorian Wars and our training days before that."

Mandalore looked at her for another few moments then just stomped out.

Liara exhaled the breath she had been holding.

x x x x x

Atton put the ship on auto-pilot. He stretched his arms out over his head before clasping them behind his neck. He wondered what Liara was doing. Ever since the other night when she had walked in on him in the shower, she had avoided him. She only spoke to him when it pertained to their mission and never allowed herself to be alone with him. Atton knew she had wanted him as much as he wanted her. He knew he wasn't wrong when he felt her desire for him. And yet she fought it.

One thing's for sure, he needed to talk to her. His feelings were in constant turmoil where she was concerned, and he couldn't handle her evasion of him.

He headed out of the cockpit in search of her. He quickly spotted her leaving the engine room heading toward him. Before he could say anything to her to get her attention, he heard Mical's voice coming from the med bay. Liara went into the Med bay with him. Atton put himself into stealth and snuck in behind her.

"There is something I have observed, and now I feel I must say it. I have found your presence to be… inspiring. With your growth in the force, you seem to have found your center, and throughout the dangers we face, you remain calm and focused."

Liara's face betrayed nothing as she said, "You're right, I have never felt better."

"I understand now why others followed you to war. Perhaps that is what leadership is – and it is something I have seen only in a few in my travels. In any event, it has been sometime since I have traveled with a Jedi, nor one so firmly upon the path. I wanted to thank you. I fear the stories that were spoken of you have misrepresented you. And if I have the opportunity, I shall reverse them whenever they arise."

She looked uncomfortable in his praise. "I thank you for your kind words, but they are not necessary."

Atton could feel the anger in him grow.

_I knew it! The fracking goodie-good is only here to try and take Liara away from me!_

Mical inclined his head to Liara. "Very well, then I shall keep my favorable opinions to myself."

Liara studied Mical's face. "I know I have said this to you before, but you look familiar to me."

Mical's cheeks colored a little.

"You are correct. I am afraid I have not been entirely open with you concerning my past. If I look familiar, it is because we have met before, at the Enclave on Dantooine, many years ago. As on Coruscant, Force Sensitive children are taken to Dantooine as well, though it is done rarely, and only with those they believe are destined to become Jedi Knights – it is the secret nature of the place. If you are not chosen by a master when you have come of age, however, then the path of the Jedi is denied you. I met you on Dantooine, long ago, briefly. You taught us the ways of combat, how to hear music within the movements of the lightsaber blade. You were different – we could all feel it. And I knew if I were to have a Master, I would want it to be you. And then you went to war. Many Jedi went to war, and the Jedi Masters proclaimed that you were Jedi no longer. Atris was first among them. I knew at that moment, that if you would no longer be a Jedi, then you must be correct. I realized I did not want to be a Jedi – instead, I wished to follow your path."

_What?!? _Atton thought. _They knew each other before all this? This is bad._

Atton glanced at Liara to try and guess what she was thinking.

Liara's face stayed in the same controlled expression while Mical poured his heart out. She kept her voice neutral as well.

"So you turned away from the Jedi – the Force - because of me?"

Mical shifted under her gaze.

"It is possible to forget the Force, you know – if you have not felt it strongly enough, then there is little to miss. But I never felt the Force as strongly as I did when I was with you. And so I decided to serve the Republic, study the Jedi teachings, gather them, perhaps. It was important to me to understand the Jedi now that they were gone. I felt some part of you should be preserved, so that your lessons would not be lost."

"I am sorry that my leaving for war had such… consequences on your future."

He shook his head. "There is nothing to be done, and the past is the past."

There was silence for a brief moment.

"You know," Liara started. "I could train you to feel the Force again."

Atton felt his anger give way to intense rage. It took everything in him to keep from throwing Mical to the ground and beating his face in. He could feel his breathing becoming labored, so he left the Med bay and headed back to the cockpit before they discovered him.

He struggled to get his emotions under control. He hadn't felt fury like this since… his days with the Sith. When Atton had left the Sith all those years ago, he had not had any trouble with the feelings of rage and hate that used to be his constant companion. But now, he could imagine himself torturing the life out of Mical. And instead of abhorrence, he quietly enjoyed the vision.

x x x x x

The ship was dead silent. Atton wasn't sure where everyone else had gone, only that they were no longer aboard the Ebon Hawk. But he could feel Liara and Mical. He knew they were still on the ship. He grabbed a neural inhibitor and hid it in his jacket. He made his way to the med bay and found Mical alone, making some medpacs. Mical looked up, barely taking notice of him, before going back to work. Atton grew angry at the sight of him. He used the Force to choke Mical, surprise coming over Mical's face.

Mical tried to speak, but Atton only tightened his grip. Mical's eyes started bulging, his face turning red.

"You know how long it's been since I've killed a Jedi?" Atton sneered. "You get a taste for it, you know. I killed a bunch on Malachor, while the planet was dying. Killing a half-Jedi like you should hold me over 'til the next one comes along. They always do, you know."

Atton could see Mical still struggling to speak, so he loosened his hold. He could entertain himself for a time with Mical's pathetic pleas.

Mical fought to get the words past his lips. "Atton, what… is happening… to you? Where… is Liara?"

"You will not speak her name! You can talk all you want, but it won't save you. I already lost what mattered to me. I wanted to protect her, to help her. Then you show up, playing 'hero'."

"Atton," Mical started, catching his breath little by little. "The feelings between Liara and I…"

"Doesn't matter, not anymore. I had forgotten how much I hate Jedi. The less of you there are in the galaxy, the better. Ready to die, kid?"

"I won't fight you, Atton."

Atton shrugged. "I don't care. I just want you to die."

With that, Atton tightened his grip once again. He squeezed as hard as he could, crushing Mical's neck. Atton finally released his hold, letting Mical fall to the floor, his neck shattered.

"Atton?"

Atton turned to see Liara standing in the Med bay door.

"What's going on…" Liara voice trailed off as she looked past Atton and saw Mical's crumpled body.

Atton saw the fear fleetingly cross her face. He also saw that she knew what he had done.

Liara turned and quickly ran toward the Ebon Hawk's entrance.

Atton chased her, screaming her name, begging her to stop. Despite what he had told Mical, he did still care about her.

She was in the garage, nearing the exit ramp. Atton sped up and tackled her around the waist, bringing her to the ground. She was crying now. Atton turned her over onto her back and straddled her.

"Atton, please! Stop this! Mical…"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Liara stopped struggling beneath him and stared back at him, wide-eyed.

"All I've wanted to do since we met was love you! And you denied me that! You went running to Mical's arms instead!"

"No! Atton! Please! It wasn't like that!"

Atton ignored her cries. He could feel tears start to stream down his own face, which only made him angrier.

"I know you want me as much as I want you! You're just afraid to let yourself love me!" he screamed in her face. "Well, I won't let your fear get in the way of what we both want!"

Atton slid the neural inhibitor around her head. Realization dawned on her face and she struggled even harder than she was before. Atton tore open her robes, exposing her breasts to him. Liara sobbed, beating at him with one fist and trying to cover herself with the other. Atton grabbed her wrists in one hand and held them above her head on the floor. He used his legs to open hers, getting in between them. He slid his free hand across her slender stomach, cupping her waist. He skimmed his hand up the side of her waist and across her breasts. She whimpered and tried to move away from him. Atton tore off her leg coverings, leaving her completely bare to him. He made a low growl in his throat before undoing his belt and throwing it behind him. He undid his pants and managed to free himself one-handedly.

"Please, Atton! Don't do this! Please!"

"I love you," he managed to choke out before he drove himself into her.

x x x x x

Atton's eyes snapped open. He looked around and saw that he had fallen asleep in the pilot's chair. He quickly got up and went in search of Mical and Liara. He found Mical meditating with Kreia, alive and well. He continued his search and found Liara practice dueling with Visas.

_It was just a dream! Thank the Force, it was just a dream. _Atton thought with relief.

Liara noticed him and motioned to Visas that she was taking a break. Visas nodded and continued her practices solo.

Liara walked over to Atton.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

Atton was surprised to see genuine concern etched across her usually calm face. He also realized that this was the first time since the shower incident that she had voluntarily spoken to him about anything besides the job at hand. He must look pretty shaken indeed.

Atton forced a laugh.

"Me? Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

Liara looked doubtful.

"Lee, I'm fine. Actually, I was thinking about going and taking a shower. I just wanted to let you know 'cause I know you would be deeply hurt if you missed seeing me in there, again."

Liara blushed and walked back over to Visas to continue their training.

_No, _Atton thought. _I am not fine. I'm petrified about what I might do to everyone, to you. And going to Korriban will only worsen things, with the voices there that always enter your mind, pleading with you to fall. Frack, what am I going to do?_

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_Another A/N: The dialogue between the Exile and Mical when he confesses his admiration for her and how they knew each other from Dantooine were from the game. Also, for those who were not already aware, the scene where Atton killed Mical was from the game as well. It was simply cut at the last second. Much of the dialogue between the two during this part is from the game's cut-scene. However, in the game, Atton killed Mical with a lightsaber. And it really happened, it was not merely a dream like it is here._

_Also, the bit between the Exile and Atton at the end of the dream sequence was all me, so if anyone is upset and wants to write a letter, make sure it goes to me and not to Obsidian or LucasArts._


	3. Chapter 3

_Just go in there and tell her you would rather stay on the ship while on Korriban. Stop being a coward and get it over with._

Atton was pacing in his dorm. They were still a few days from Korriban, but the closer he got to it, the more anxious he became. The nightmares were becoming a nightly event. They were always different, but always the same. He had dreamed of killing Mical a few times, but he had also progressed to dreams of the others. He had tortured Visas in one, murdered Mandalore in another, dismantled the droids and executed Mira. He always took pleasure in the dreams while he was having them, but then would awaken and be more frightened than ever (except for the one where he tortured Kreia until the old scow couldn't speak anymore, he rather enjoyed that one even after he woke).

Memories of his time at the Sith Academy were surfacing more and more often. He had decided yesterday that he shouldn't step foot on the planet. He couldn't quite build up the courage to tell Liara, however. He couldn't tell her that he was afraid of going back there. That he was afraid of himself. That he was afraid of becoming _him _again.

Atton sat on his bunk and put his head in his hands.

_How do I tell her that I am having thoughts of hurting everyone, including her? How do I tell her that my past is more of an issue than I let on? I still don't even know how she feels about it…_

With a frustrated sound, Atton stood and resumed his pacing.

"Nervous about something?"

Atton looked up to see Bao-Dur in the doorway.

"No, what gave you that idea?"

"I have a sixth sense about these things," Bao-Dur said with a small smile.

Atton dropped onto his bunk, clasped his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes.

Bao-Dur stepped into the dormitory. "Is it anything I can help with?"

_You wouldn't be asking me that if you knew I dreamt of slitting your throat the other night._

"I said there was nothing wrong."

Both men were quiet, letting the silence fill the room. Atton started thinking Bao-Dur had left.

_No, he's still there. I can feel him staring at me._

"Is there something you need, Bao?" Atton asked with a sigh, never opening his eyes.

"Did you know that I did more in the Mandalorian Wars than tech work?"

"And?"

"I killed Mandalorians whenever I got the chance during that war," Bao-Dur admitted.

Atton opened one eye and looked at Bao-Dur, contemplating him for a moment. Then he closed it again, saying, "So? A lot of people did. I did. We were at war."

"Yes, but not everyone reveled in the kill like I did."

At this, Atton opened both eyes and watched Bao-Dur.

_Where is he going with this? _Atton wondered.

Bao-Dur continued with his confession. "I always got some measure of satisfaction with each death I caused. I wanted them all to die, to pay for what they had done to my home world. I even began seeking the enemy out just so I could see the blood flow from them, the life leave their eyes."

Atton sat up on his bunk, saying nothing.

"I was so angry. I hated them all. Violent thoughts were always in my head, no matter what I was physically doing."

Bao-Dur began pacing the same route that Atton was moments before.

"Then came the night that changed everything for me. I had snuck away from my camp, hoping to come across a lone Mandalorian that I could satisfy my hunger for revenge upon, regardless of how temporary that satisfaction was. But I didn't find anyone that night. One found me. He had crept up behind me, putting his blaster to the back of my head. He had me turn around and face him. When I did, I was surprised to see a Mandalorian soldier without the usual armor and helm. Then I noticed he was also incredibly young, couldn't have been more than 14 standard years. He had been following my group for days, waiting for me to slip away from the others. Apparently, he was out for revenge for his father, one of the men I had executed. It was ironic, really. I had killed for retribution and then was facing my own death to sate another's need for vengeance. Vengeance that I had created in him by murdering his father.

Bao-Dur stopped pacing and turned to Atton. He made sure he was looking Atton in the eyes before continuing.

"It was almost too easy, snatching the blaster out of his hands. And when I had his blaster pointing back at him, the look on his face... Instead of fear, he showed shame, acceptance, and that damnable Mandalorian arrogance. It didn't matter to me that he was essentially a child. It didn't matter that he was hurting from the loss of someone he cared for, someone I had taken from him. I shot him in the head, threw the blaster down on his dead body then walked away. But for the first time, I didn't feel the righteousness I usually did. That was when I began questioning everything I had done."

Atton stayed quiet, absorbing everything that Bao-Dur had said. Bao-Dur just continued to look at him.

Atton narrowed his eyes at him. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can feel something familiar in you. Something akin to what I felt in myself back then."

Atton couldn't help the look of surprise on his face.

"I know you are not feeling the call of revenge, but there is something dark in you that you are fighting against. I guess I wanted you to know that I was here if you needed someone to help you calm your demons, someone who understood slightly what you are going through."

Atton fought back the shock. "Look, Bao, I appreciate what you're doing and what you told me. But the only time I "fight with myself" is when I'm trying to decide how much to bet on a game of Pazaak."

Bao-Dur frowned at him. "Atton, it won't serve to deny what's going on…"

"Hey! I told you already that I'm fine! I realize you're concerned, but you're wasting your time with this."

Bao-Dur shook his head at Atton before heading back to the garage.

Atton watched him go. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair before he started pacing again.

x x x x x

"Lee? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Atton asked as he walked into her dorm.

He had finally decided to tell her of his wish to stay onboard the Ebon Hawk while they were on Korriban. If she asked why, he'd just make up some excuse about the Ebon Hawk needing a little work.

Liara was alone in there, making up her bunk. She glanced up at Atton. "Sure," she said, finishing up her bed. "Actually, I needed to talk to you, too."

"Oh, well, you first," he said, leaning against the wall.

"Ok. I was hoping that you would come with me to look for Master Vosh on Korriban."

She saw the look of uncertainty cross his face.

"It's just that Kreia and Mandalore have already told me they have no desire to go. I'd hate to bother Mira and Visas with it."

_But you're ok with bothering him about it? _A little voice inside asked her.

"I mean, I don't want to bother you with it, either," she said quickly. "I just, uh…"

He smiled at her stammering. He never saw her so uncertain of herself and it was kind of cute.

She sighed and looked away from him. "I just would really like for you to be there with me."

He stopped smiling. He enjoyed flirting with her, but she had never once teased back. Even now, he knew she was being completely serious in her request. He couldn't believe that she had admitted to wanting him around, even if it was to just help her out with something.

She looked back over at him, waiting on his answer.

His heart nearly jumped in his throat at her looking at him the way she was.

_Say no, you idiot! Look at her, so naïve, she doesn't know what she's asking. She wants your help and all you're going to do is hurt her!_

"Hey, if you need anything from me, all you have to do is ask," he assured her.

He caught the relief in her eyes before she put her face back to its usual emotionless state. They looked at each other for a moment more. She cleared her throat.

"So, you had a favor to ask of me?"

"Huh?" Atton shook off his daydreaming. "Oh, yeah. I, uh…" He looked around the room, trying to think fast. He spotted her dancer's outfit in the corner.

He smiled as he remembered her wearing it while dancing for Vogga the Hutt. He still couldn't believe she had done it, but at the time, they had no other options. They needed to get in to see the overinflated slug and the only people he would see were the girls sent to dance for him. Mical had tried suggesting to Liara that she get Visas to do it. He stopped, however, when Atton elbowed him hard in the ribs, telling him to shut his mouth. It didn't matter, though. Liara had shaken her head and told them that she couldn't ask something of someone else that she wasn't willing to do herself. So she actually put the slinky little bikini on and danced for Vogga. Atton and Mical had both accompanied her while she did it. Mical had blushed the entire time and kept his eyes averted. But Atton, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was a surprisingly good dancer. The ordeal served to provide Atton with a number of pleasant fantasies.

He sauntered over to it, picking it up and holding it out to her.

"I was wondering if you'd put this on and do that little dance you did for Vogga. I was so busy body-guarding last time that I didn't really catch it all when you did it."

She tried to snatch it out of his hands. He laughed at her and held it up high over his head out of her reach. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. He put the top on over his shirt and posed with it. His stomach clenched when he heard her laugh. She didn't laugh near enough, in his opinion.

"I don't know, as good as this looks on me – and let's be honest, I look good in anything – I think it looks way better on you. Here," he said while taking it back off. He handed it to her. "Try it on and let me have a look."

"You wish," she said, still giggling. She stuffed the outfit under her pillow. She and Atton were still laughing when Kreia walked in.

"Liara. Maybe you should see to it that this fool here takes care of things in the cockpit. You should be preparing for our next lesson."

"Hey, if you want to stay in here and meditate don't let us stop you. But don't go dragging Lee into your boring rants."

"It's ok, Atton. Kreia's right. I have lessons that I need to concentrate on. Thanks again, though, for saying you'll help me later on."

"Sure," he said while walking out of the dorm. Kreia shut the doors, not bothering to make sure Atton was clear of the doorway.

He could hear Kreia telling Liara, once again, to keep her distance from him. He felt a measure of triumph when he heard Lee take up for him, asking Kreia to stop referring to him as "the fool." He made his way to the cockpit.

_Why did you say ok to helping her on Korriban? You're just asking for trouble._

His mind was right, of course. But the truth was, his heart could deny Liara nothing, even if it cost him everything.

x x x x x

Now that Atton knew he would be going to Korriban after all, he was having trouble controlling his nerves. He was tempted to talk to Bao-Dur about it, but he decided he wasn't that desperate yet.

He was working in the cockpit when Mical came in. Atton felt frustration immediately upon seeing him. He tried to ignore him, willing him to go away.

"Do you need a hand?" Mical asked.

"No, I don't. Go back to your training. I'll call you if I need someone useless."

"Is there some problem? I was only offering to help."

Atton shrugged his shoulders. "Problem? No, no problem. Just wondering how long you're planning on sticking around."

"For as long as Liara needs me, of course."

"How heroic of you. Well, she doesn't need you. In fact, we were doing just fine until you showed up." Atton's voice was steadily getting louder.

Mical either didn't notice Atton getting angry or he didn't care. "Actually, there are times when it seems you could use some h-"

"Always with the details, aren't you? You can't fool me. You have some agenda, spying on her, always keeping your eye on her."

Bao-Dur walked in, clearing his throat. Atton and Mical both turned to him, one angry and the other confused.

"Mical, I believe Kreia is looking for you," Bao-Dur stated.

"Very well." Mical bowed to Bao-Dur then turned and bowed to Atton. Atton made a rude noise and went back to work. Mical quietly left the room.

"So," Bao-Dur started. "This is where your anger stems from."

Atton kept his attention on his work. He could guess where Bao-Dur was going with this. "I don't know what you're babbling about, Bao."

"You know exactly what I'm _talking _about. For me, it was revenge. The worm eating at you is jealousy."

"Pfft. Whatever you say."

"I should have realized it sooner, but you mask your true feelings well, almost as well as the General. I knew you wanted to bed her, but I had no idea your attraction had grown into more."

Atton turned his anger on Bao-Dur. "What the frack do you know? You know nothing about me, my past, or how I feel about Liara!"

Bao-Dur never raised his voice. "I know your mind better than you think I do."

Atton turned away from him, placing his hands on the table in front of him, dropping his head. "Whatever. Just leave me alone."

Bao-Dur ignored Atton's request. "I know you are battling your darkness at all times, except when you are with the General. I know you are having trouble sleeping. I know that your rage first was focused on Mical, but has since branched out to include everyone."

Atton remained silent, remained still.

"I know this because, no matter where the darkness first emerges from, the end result is always the same. My lust for vengeance grew to hate for everyone and everything. Sleepless nights became more and more frequent. My mind was always on my quest for retribution. The same can be said for someone who suffers from jealousy. As well as someone who hungers for power, and those who are greedy. No matter the source, the feelings are the same.

"You have to beat this envy, for the General. She cares too much about you, and to lose you, even if it was only to the dark side, would be more than she can handle."

Atton looked up at Bao-Dur.

"You mean…she…I…how do you know this?" Atton asked.

Bao-Dur interrupted him. "I won't speak of this again. I wouldn't have, it is not my place to tell you her true feelings, but I am starting to fear my silence more in this case. Talk to her. Or don't talk to her. Either way, make your peace with your demons before it endangers us all, including her."

x x x x x

They had landed. In mere minutes, they would be leaving the sanctity of the ship and wandering Korriban. Atton could feel his heart pound in his chest, his breathing getting quicker. He, Liara, and Mical were waiting for the entrance ramp to lower. He looked over at them. Mical seemed nervous, but otherwise fine. Liara's face, of course, showed nothing.

Atton hadn't been able to make up his mind on whether or not to talk to Lee about what he was experiencing. Despite what Bao-Dur thought, Atton was afraid that Liara would reject him. And now it was too late. They were leaving the ship.

The moment his foot touched Korriban ground, Atton felt it. The whispers in his head started immediately.

_A familiar presence, this one. Ah,"Atton," is that what we are calling ourselves these days? No matter, your murderer's heart still beats like it did before you fled us. And what company you keep. The male angers you, yes? He should pose no problem when we dispose of him. The female, on the other hand, she is strong, beautiful, innocent. She will be difficult to break, but it will be fun all the same. Lose the alias and embrace yourself once more. _

_Welcome home, Jaq._

Atton smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: The short dialogue between Mical and Atton is from the game, as is Atton's real name, Jaq._


	4. Chapter 4

"Can you feel it? There is a great malevolence in the air," Mical said, shuddering.

Liara's eyes scanned the valley. "Stay focused, Mical. Remember why we are here and what we are doing. Take strength from that."

She looked over at Atton. He was looking out over the valley, but didn't appear to be seeing it. His eyes were glazed and unblinking.

"Atton? Are you alright?" she asked.

He didn't seem to have heard her. The far-off look remained in his eyes. She saw him smile, but it wasn't his usual lop-sided grin. Liara didn't know what he was smiling about, but this baleful grin was unnerving. She touched his arm, studying his face.

Her touch seemed to bring him to his senses. The fog lifted from his eyes. He looked down at her, Liara's hand still on his arm.

"Somethin' up?" he asked her.

"I was actually asking you the same thing. You seem to be lost in thought."

"Me? Lost in thought? Pfft. That'd be a first," he tried to joke.

Liara didn't know what it was, but something seemed a little off about him.

She had known that coming to Korriban might be difficult for Atton, but she had asked him to accompany her anyway. She was afraid of coming here herself. Years before, she had been accused of falling to the dark side by the Jedi Council, and the accusation stayed with her. She didn't really believe that she had fallen, but some small part of her wondered _what if?_ She feared the call of the dark side, the call that was amplified on this planet. So she asked Atton to come with her, because in spite of all his sarcasm and flirting and seemingly uncaring attitude, he made her feel safe.

Liara realized at that moment how selfish it was to ask him to revisit this part of his past because she was frightened.

"Atton, if you would rather stay on the ship, I understand. It was unbelievably callous of me to ask you to join me here considering…" she saw Mical listening and edited what she was going to say. As far as she knew, no one but her knew of Atton's past. "…well, considering that Bao-Dur could probably use your help on board."

_How deliciously sweet of her _the voices whispered in Atton's head. _So sweet…_

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Let's get this over with."

Liara nodded and looked out over the valley once more.

"Look. There's a ravine leading out of the valley. It appears to be our only way out of this bowl. Let's get going."

Liara led the way, Mical and Atton followed. There were many bodies scattered about, some half-buried by the sand, some completely skeletal. The group stayed away from each corpse at Kreia's warning of hssiss attacks should they disturb the dead.

They came upon a cave while walking down the chasm. Liara started to step into the cavern when Kreia's voice stopped her.

"There is great power and dark energy within this cave. I would advise you to finish your explorations within the Academy before venturing into the cave," Kreia's voice said inside Liara's head.

Liara had no qualms with that, so she stepped back and the group continued down the narrow valley to the doors of the Sith Academy.

They quickly dispatched the group of tuk'atas at the entrance to the Academy.

"Is everyone ready for this?" Liara asked Atton and Mical.

Mical nodded and tightened his grip on his lightsaber. Liara could sense his anxiety. She placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to convey the feelings of calm and peace she wished she felt. It seemed to help, Mical's breathing slowed. He gave Liara a weak smile. She gave him another look before releasing his shoulder and turning to Atton.

Unlike Mical, Atton did not appear to be distraught. If anything, he seemed to be anticipating something. She furrowed her brow at him, trying to place what was different about him.

_Hmmm…he hasn't been talking just to hear himself like he usually does. In fact, he hasn't said a word for quite awhile. No snide comments to Mical, no lascivious remarks to me…nothing. He seems to be focusing on something else, but I can't pinpoint it!_

"Atton!" she nearly yelled.

He turned his head slowly and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're ok? Something seems different, almost, about you."

His eyes narrowed at her.

"I told you already that I was fine. Quit harping on me and let's do this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She was surprised at the restrained way he was speaking. Atton was usually quick to frustration and anger, and his voice always reflected his passion. This muted version was not like him.

_Liara, leave him be! Of course he's acting differently. This place can't hold good memories for him. The best thing you can do is finish what you need to do and get out of here as soon as possible._

Atton changed the subject. "Looks like somebody left the doors to the Academy wide open."

Liara nodded. She motioned for them to follow her as she stepped inside.

x x x x x

_Interesting, _the voices in Atton's head said. _She can sense something is going on with you, Jaq. She is stronger than we first thought. There is much fun to be had with her, after we get rid of the Jedi Disciple accompanying you. _

_ Yes, Mical will have to be dealt with _Atton thought.

x x x x x

Darth Sion rose from his meditation. He closed his eyes and listened to the whispers of Korriban.

"She is here. Find her," Sion ordered his Sith Assassins. The assassins left to carry out his order.

Sion headed to the detention chamber. Lonna Vash lifted her head from her knees when he entered the room. She stood and looked at him, calmly awaiting whatever was next.

"Your exiled Jedi has arrived," Sion sneered at her.

Lonna's face showed no emotion. She had felt it when Liara landed.

Lonna Vash had come to Korriban for two reasons: to try to uncover the hidden threat to the Jedi and, hopefully, come across Liara. Since she had been caught by Sion, she had been interrogated most harshly in regards to Liara. She had never revealed anything to him and Sion made her feel his rage most painfully.

But Lonna was no fool. Liara had unwittingly sealed Lonna's fate when she stepped onto the planet's surface. Sion had kept her alive for the sole purpose of using her as bait to lure Liara to him. And now Liara was here…

"Have you anything to say?" Sion asked.

Lonna looked back at him, keeping quiet. She knew what was coming and accepted it. She was almost glad. This would be her punishment for her arrogance while on the Council, for the quick and unfair judgment of Liara.

Sion grew angry at her silence. He reached through the bars, grabbed her by the jaw and pulled her close to him. Lonna stumbled but kept on her feet. She grabbed at the bars, trying to free herself. Sion kept pulling at her, almost as though he were trying to force her head between the bars. Just when Lonna thought her skull would crack from the pressure, he stopped. He bent his head close to hers, his gray, cracked lips at her ear.

"She suffered much due to your Council's unfair ruling. You cast her aside rather than understand. She fought in the Mandalorian Wars to protect the so-called innocents of the Republic. She was the only Jedi to come back and face you, the only one who _didn't _fall and follow Revan. But she was the one you threw to the wolves, claiming to all the Order that she was a Jedi no longer. For nearly a decade, she wandered the galaxy alone. And now, I will break her, in ways that Malachor never could."

Lonna's eyes widened. She felt a single tear spill over her cheek. Sion squeezed her face even tighter as the tear hit his fingers.

"But not before I break you," he murmured.

x x x x x

"Wait." Liara stopped and tried to focus. "Did you feel that? Something has happened, something terrible."

Mical closed his eyes and concentrated. "Yes. You are right, I feel it, too. What do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure. I thought for a moment that I felt Master Vash, but it's gone now. We should hurry."

x x x x x

After fighting their way through numerous Sith Assassins, they managed to find the Master Jedi. Her body was bent in an unnatural position on the floor. Blood splattered the ground and cage she was held in. Mical went forward to see if anything could be done to help her. Liara stopped him. There was obviously nothing left to save. Master Vash's face was almost entirely gone.

Atton looked over the corpse.

_Hmph. Not bad. I could've done better, though. Still, crushing someone's face? I've only done it once before. Maybe I should give it another try sometime._

He peered over at Liara.

_Big surprise. No emotion, even when seeing an old friend lying in a dead, crumpled heap. _

Liara turned her back on Atton and Mical. She put her hands to her face for a few seconds. Atton heard her make a quiet sound.

_Huh? Is she crying? No way…_

Liara let her hands fall to her sides and faced them. Her face looked no different than it did before she turned around.

_Guess not. Wonder what that was about._

Mical went over to Liara. "Are you alright? Do you need a moment?"

Atton's anger flared.

_No, not here. This is not the place _the voices cautioned him.

"Thank you, but no. We found what we came here for. We should leave this place now."

They headed back to the Academy entrance. Liara saw a dark figure blocking the way. It was Sion. She started towards him as he came toward her.

"Did you come here for answers? There are none," he told her. "The call of Korriban is strong, but it is the call of the dead. I have studied you, immersed myself in you. I know the paths you walked in exile. I know the fires that raged upon the Dxun moon while the Republic died around you. You know war. You know battle. And I know of Malachor. You know what it means to be broken. The one who travels with you will destroy you, as she did me. I can end it before it begins."

"What do you know of Kreia?"

"I know her as an apprentice knows their Master… and as a Master knows an apprentice."

"What do you want with her?"

"I want her to die, and see all that she has built cast down. All that she holds dear, in shards at her feet."

"I will not let you harm her," Liara admonished him.

"You have not survived her teachings, as I have. And you have not bested her in battle, as I have. You are nothing. Yet still she walks with you, is willing to sacrifice herself for you! That is why you will die."

He ignited his lightsaber and brought its bright red beam down, trying to disarm Liara. She ignited hers, blocking his attack with her double-bladed saber twirling in her hands. The silver lights from it almost had Atton mesmerized. He loved to watch her fight, her moves reminded him of her dance for Vogga. It was a beautiful and lethal sight to behold.

"Atton!" Mical shouted to him.

Atton tore his eyes from Liara, turning his attention to Mical. He was trying to fend off two Sith Assassins and was clearly getting overwhelmed.

"I need your help!"

Atton smiled and walked slowly over to him.

"Do something!" Mical cried.

He watched Mical struggle a little more. He was purely defending himself, the two attackers never letting up on him long enough for Mical to make any attacks of his own. Atton knew if this battle went on too much longer, Mical would tire himself out and eventually be struck down.

Mical seemed to be aware of the same thing. The look in his eyes as he glowered at Atton told him as much.

Atton sighed inwardly. _I can't let these two schuttas do my dirty work. Besides, Liara may suspect something if she happens to glance over here and sees me being nothing more than a happy spectator to Mical's death. I'll deal with Mical on my own, later._

His decision made, Atton brandished his two lightsabers, the yellow lights gleaming.

"Hey! That one's not worth your time, a blind gizka is more sport than he is. How about taking me on?" he challenged them.

Both assassins took his advice, advancing on Atton, circling him. Mical fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath and heal his wounds.

The assassins continued circling Atton.

"Guys, keep this up and old age will claim me before you do."

One of the assailants lunged at him. Atton dodged and swung one lightsaber up, disarming his opponent. He used his other saber to stab him, twisting the blade in his flesh. The surviving attacker tried to take advantage of Atton's distraction and rushed him. Atton saw him coming. He pulled his saber out of the dead assassin and dropped to the ground. He swung his leg, kicking the assassin's feet out from under him. Atton jumped back up, kicking his opponent's weapon away. The assassin got to his knees. Atton pointed a saber to his neck.

"Move and I'll take your head from your body."

The Sith Assassin stilled, barely taking a breath.

"Breathing counts as moving," Atton said. With a lightsaber in each hand, he swung both arms, crossing them, scissoring his opponent's head from his neck.

Atton looked over at Liara in time to see Sion grab her by the neck and lift her off her feet. She clawed at his hand, kicking out at him. Atton felt fear grip his chest as he saw Liara's face turn red, her struggles becoming weaker. He ran to Sion, slashing at his back with his saber. Sion dropped Liara and turned to him. Liara gulped in as much air as her lungs would take, choking on it. By this time, Mical was ready to rejoin the fight. Liara staggered to her feet, readying her weapon. Mical used the Force to heal Liara, restoring some of her strength.

Once it was the three of them, they were able to take Sion down relatively quickly, but not without suffering a few more wounds. Sion was kneeling, looking beat, when he raised his arms and gave a loud roar. He got to his feet, completely restored and healed. Liara, Atton, and Mical looked on, stupefied. Kreia's voice reached out to Liara's mind.

"He cannot be defeated… he is not a beast of flesh and blood. This is not a battle that can be won. Flee."

Liara didn't need to be told twice. She shouted at Atton and Mical to retreat and they raced out of the Academy.

Two more Sith Assassins appeared at Sion's side. Sion held up his hand, stopping them from pursuing the three.

He was surprised at the confusion he was experiencing where Liara was concerned now that they had actually met, actually spoken. Now that they had battled. He needed time to contemplate this new and unexpected…development.

"Do not harm her. I command it. She… has earned this. She and I will meet again."

x x x x x

Liara, Atton, and Mical ran until they got to the Shyrack Cave.

"Is everyone ok?" Liara asked.

Mical nodded. Atton clipped his lightsabers back to his belt.

"Now that that pleasantness is over, what's the plan?"

Liara looked into the cavern. "I think we should explore this cave. I sense that there is something I need to do in here, something I need to see."

Atton exhaled loudly. "Well, let's get going, then."

They made their way to the back of the cave, fending off shyracks and tuk'atas along the way. Once they reached the rear of the cavern, they fought a couple of hssiss, then stopped at the entrance to a foreboding tomb.

Kreia spoke once again to Liara.

"The power I felt coming through the cave is just ahead. I believe you are strong enough to explore the tomb. You will have to face the challenges of the tomb alone. Are you ready?"

"I will go on alone." Liara turned to her companions.

"Mical, if I'm not back by dusk, head back to the ship. Find a way to get in contact with the Republic and let them know what is going on. Make them understand the threat that is coming."

Mical bowed his head at her, his eyes squeezed shut. "Do not speak to me as though this is the last time."

"We must be prepared for anything."

Liara walked away from him, going over to Atton. Atton didn't notice her. He had fixed Mical with an angry stare.

"Atton," she said quietly.

He looked down at her, his eyes softening.

Liara took a deep breath. "Atton, I…"

_You know, Jaq, she may actually love you. You! How utterly laughable. _The voices whispered in his head. Atton ignored them, concentrating on Liara.

She looked him in the eyes, tentatively lifting a hand to his cheek.

"I…"

She sighed, dropping her hand.

"I will see you when I return," she said half-heartedly.

She turned to go. Atton grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. He kissed her, interlacing his fingers with hers, his other arm wrapping around her, pressing her to him. He fought off the urge to go any further. He abruptly released her before he lost what little self-control he had.

She stood back, looking at him, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen.

"I'll be waiting for you right here, no matter how long it takes," he told her softly.

She looked him in the eyes a moment longer before entering the tomb.

_I'll be waiting for you right here _the voices mocked him. _How quaint. You have grown soft since you left all those years ago. Luckily, you are still more than a match for the blonde one. Now that she is gone, we can dispatch of him and come up with any number of plausible stories on how it happened._

Atton suddenly flew through the air, landing flat on his face. He quickly got to his feet, looking about for the threat.

All he saw was Mical, with lightening sparking from his fingertips and flashing in his eyes. Atton stared, stunned.

"I won't let you have her!" Mical shouted.

Mical shot the lightening through Atton's body. Atton fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming.


	5. Chapter 5

The tomb doors shut behind Liara. She exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she leaned back against the doors. Her stomach was turning itself inside out and back again, her heart beating so fast she thought it might burst.

_Who would have thought that I could have these kinds of feelings? And for Atton, of all people!_

She laughed to herself. _I cannot believe I am inside a tomb, lovesick, grinning like an idiot with butterflies in my stomach._

Liara started away from the door when she heard some kind of commotion on the other side. She heard Mical shout something but she couldn't make out what he said. She tried to open the door to get back out and help them with whatever was going on, but the tomb was sealed.

_Dammit! I guess I have no choice but to go forward and hope Atton and Mical will be okay. _

She chastised herself for doubting their abilities.

_What an ego you're developing, thinking two full grown men can't take care of themselves without you. They are not completely helpless. Well, _Liara thought with a small smile. _Atton isn't, anyway. Mical is getting there, though._

Liara banished all thoughts from her head, moving forward in the crypt to face whatever challenges awaited her.

x x x x x

_That's it, Mical _Korriban's voices said softly in Mical's head. _Make him hurt. He was going to take her away from you. You're doing her a favor by getting rid of the pilot. His intentions aren't honorable as yours are. He'll just end up causing her pain. And she's had enough of that to last a planet's lifetime._

A tiny part of Mical told him to stop. That regardless of what he thought of Atton, Atton didn't deserve to be burned and electrocuted. That small part reminded Mical that jealousy led to the dark side and he was running full speed down that darkened path. Then Mical remembered watching, appalled, as Atton took Liara in his arms and kissed her.

Mical sent another surge of lightening through Atton's body, eliciting another strained scream from him.

x x x x x

Atton's body felt like it was being burned from the inside out. He was on all fours struggling to keep from collapsing.

_What has gotten into Mical?_ He thought weakly.

_Oh, the same thing that has gotten into you. What is it about this female that has the both of you so enamored? Shockingly, the blonde one took our advice quicker than you did._ The voices laughed in his head. _You should be ashamed of yourself, Jaq, letting this unseasoned Jedi get the better of you. We thought you had killed many Jedi and tortured countless more. And this green Jedi is going to be the end of you…_

Atton swore. He should have known that the voices of Korriban would be trying to turn all three of them, not just focusing on himself. It was, after all, the way of the Sith to pit everyone against each other until all but one were destroyed.

Atton fought to stand. He came slowly to his feet, screaming through clenched teeth. His body begged to be allowed to drop but Atton's mind refused to give in.

_Impressive, Jaq. Now if you succeed in getting rid of him, you can tell your lovely Jedi that he attacked you first. And you have the burns to prove it. She won't suspect a thing._

Atton activated one of his lightsabers and managed to ignore the pain long enough to throw it at Mical. It struck Mical on his arm, causing him to stop using his force powers against Atton.

Atton took advantage of the moments given to him to heal some of his wounds. His healing abilities were nowhere near as great as Mical's, but it was enough. He called through the Force to bring his lightsaber back to him then ignited the other.

Mical shot a hand toward Atton. But instead of lightening, Atton felt a tug at his mind.

_So, Mical thinks he can use some Jedi mind tricks on me? Please…_

Atton gave Mical a wicked smile, tapping his temple with his forefinger.

Mical was at a loss on what to do. He had been a little surprised that Atton had been able to perform any kind of attack while he was being shocked. Then again, he had seen Atton recover from seemingly fatal wounds, just to keep fighting, collapsing only after the threat was taken care of. But Mical was more than stunned that Atton had resisted his insanity trick.

Mical agreed with Kreia that Atton was a fool. Mical had assumed that meant that Atton was weak in the Force and would be susceptible to any Force powers used against him.

Clearly, he had underestimated Atton. Maybe that was Atton's goal. Maybe he wasn't quite the simpleton he led everyone to believe.

But Mical tended to be underestimated himself. Most people believed that because he was a scholar, he was next to worthless in a physical altercation. Those people were very wrong. Mical could usually hold his own in melee combat. He was also handy with a blaster though he wasn't the sharpshooter that Atton was.

_Good that we are fighting with lightsabers, _Mical thought.

Mical flicked on his green lightsaber in time to block a downward slash from Atton. Atton continued pushing down with his saber and Mical kept holding him back, their lightsabers straining against each other.

"You won't let me have her, huh?" Atton sneered. "As if you have any say in who she ends up with."

"I have a say when I object to your intentions!"

"Wrong! You have no place to object to anything I may have planned for Liara and me! If I want to sleep with her then have nothing to do with her the next morning, that's our business!"

Atton hated saying that because his ambitions for Liara were not so crass. Ok, maybe they were a _little, _but not to the extent he let on. He wasn't about to let Mical know anything about his feelings for her, however.

Mical jumped back, removing his lightsaber from Atton's, causing Atton to stumble a little. Mical swung his saber at Atton. Atton easily parried his attack and swung his own. Mical managed to stop it from connecting with his arm. Atton brought his other saber up catching Mical across the chest. Mical clutched at his wound, sending the Force through his body to heal the damage. Atton swung both of his lightsabers, moving so fast Mical almost couldn't see the yellow lights from them. Atton kept swinging his sabers, pivoting, turning, slashing. Finally, Atton jumped back, observing his handiwork. Mical fell to his knees from the pain. He looked down to see many cuts and slashes all across his body, crusted over from the heat of the lightsabers. Mical Force Pushed Atton, sending him flying. Mical healed as many injuries as he could. Atton landed on his feet, looking back at Mical, a smile on his face.

_This tiny Jedi is no match for you, Jaq. Why are you prolonging this? Finish him before the female gets back._

Atton decided the voices were right.

_ It's time to end this _hethought.

Atton ran toward Mical, one lightsaber skimming the ground on the side of him, leaving a small, charred chasm in its wake. With an almost inhuman roar, Atton brought it up at an angle, seeking to cut Mical's chest wide open. Mical leapt back, Atton's saber catching his tunic. A piece of it fluttered to the ground.

Mical barely blocked Atton's next attack. He tried to use the Force to push Atton back again, but Atton resisted it this time. Mical kept backing up and blocking Atton's furious attacks. Then Atton threw both of his lightsabers in the air. Mical kept his eyes on the spinning sabers, so he didn't see it coming when Atton punched him in the face. Mical stumbled. Atton jumped up, catching his lightsabers. His feet had barely touched the ground when he leapt again. Atton spun his body, whipping his head around quickly to keep his eyes on Mical. He kicked out one leg, tucking the other to his body. Atton's heel made contact with the side of Mical's face, sending him over the side of the cliff they had been fighting on. Atton landed, touching a hand to the ground. He stood and walked over to the cliff's edge. He peered over it to find Mical gripping the edge of the cliffside.

"Any last words?" Atton asked, kicking some dirt in Mical's face.

Mical turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut to keep from getting debris in them.

"Why are you doing this?" Mical asked.

"Why am I defending myself against your unprovoked attacks? Please. Don't forget, you started this. Don't get mad at me 'cause the better man won."

"You were going to attack me first!"

Atton smirked. "Maybe I was and maybe I wasn't. That doesn't change the fact that you struck the first blow, weak as it may have been."

Mical hung his head, still gripping the edge tightly. "I was only trying to protect her," he said quietly.

"Protect her from what? From me? How noble. Well, I've got news for you. All I've been trying to do since I met her was protect her. Maybe if you stopped meditating for a second and actually looked around you with your own eyes, you'd have seen that."

"You are right," Mical said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What?"

"I said, you are right. I have never seen you do anything to harm her, despite your flirtatious advances. I allowed Korriban to twist my loyalty to her, my desire for her. And I shall pay the ultimate price."

Atton stood there for a moment, looking down at Mical, who was looking down into the deep gulch.

_But for the first time, I didn't feel the righteousness I usually did _Bao-Dur's words snuck into his mind._ That was when I began questioning everything I had done._

_ I know you are not feeling the call of revenge, but there is something dark in you that you are fighting against. _

Atton shook his head, trying to clear Bao-Dur's speech from his mind. But his words continued to echo in Atton's mind.

_You have to beat this envy, for the General. She cares too much about you, and to lose you, even if it was only to the dark side, would be more than she can handle._

Atton remembered the kiss they shared. He put his fingers to his lips, almost as if he could feel hers.

He knelt and grabbed Mical's forearm. Mical looked up at him, startled. He grabbed onto Atton's arm with both hands.

_What are you doing, Jaq? You have won. Why are you helping him now? The female Jedi is yours!_

Atton argued back. _No. Somehow I don't think she would be if she knew I killed Mical, even if it was in self-defense. I don't think she'd want anything to do with me._

_ Who cares what she wants? Force her to do what _you _want. Her wishes are meaningless._

Atton's mind recoiled at the idea.

_Do not act so innocent, Jaq. You have dreamed of it. You are not above committing the act._

The voices only served to strengthen Atton's resolve. Despite what they were saying, Atton was horrified at the thought of forcing himself on Liara. And surprisingly enough, that darker part of himself, Jaq, wasn't so keen on the idea, either.

Atton almost cheered at the thought that, good or bad, he would never hurt Liara. He pulled Mical up and over onto the ledge.

They both took a moment to compose themselves.

"So," Atton began. "What do we do now?"

"Wait for Liara, of course."

Atton rolled his eyes. "I meant, what are we going to tell her about the beating you took."

Mical was examining his injuries when he caught onto what Atton was saying.

"What do you mean 'the beating I took'? You look more than a little disheveled because of me!"

"Whatever. Can you heal these burns or not?"

"I think so. Give me a moment to meditate and restore some of my energy."

After a time, Mical was able to heal their wounds. He felt shame when he administered to Atton's burns. He still couldn't believe he had attacked someone with such a deadly and painful force. He had much to learn in the ways of the Jedi. But he would take what he could from this experience. He now knew first-hand how easy it was to stray from the path of the light. He would never over-estimate himself again in that regard.

He also saw many older scars on Atton, both internal and external, that he had not caused. He asked Atton if he wanted him to heal the old wounds, but Atton answered with a short but forceful no. Mical wanted to ask Atton about them (there were so many!) but he doubted Atton would give him a straight answer. Atton may have saved his life but that certainly didn't make them buddies.

After a while, Mical had been able to heal all of his and Atton's wounds they had received from their battle. They were both filthy and tired, but both stayed alert, waiting on Liara to return.

Some time later, Liara made her way back to them. Atton and Mical scrambled to their feet.

"What happened in there?" Atton asked.

"Just revisiting some events in my past," was all she said.

"So," she continued. "What happened to you guys? I heard some kind of disturbance when I first entered the tomb."

Mical and Atton glanced at each other before looking back at her.

"Nothing," they answered in unison.

Liara looked them over doubtfully but decided not to press the issue.

"Ok, then. Let's get back to the Ebon Hawk and get off this forsaken rock."

x x x x x

Mical was in the medbay, making a few med pacs, even though the crew had more than plenty. He just had to do something to take his mind off of what had transpired in the cavern. He had struck out at Atton over jealousy. He had behaved like a spoilt child, throwing a tantrum because he wasn't getting his way. He couldn't believe he had done anything so dark for something so petty. But, he supposed, that is the way of the dark side.

He now knew that followers of the dark side were not more powerful, as they claimed. The Sith taught that giving into your emotions was a freeing experience and allowed you to realize your potential. But Mical saw the weakness in giving into every base impulse that struck you, in having no self-control. He promised himself that he would exercise his mind and willpower more so he wouldn't give into temptation next time. And he knew there would be a next time, sooner or later.

But that wasn't the only thing troubling him. He was also trying to sort through his feelings for Liara, as well as his image of Atton.

Mical knew Atton was going to let him drop to his death while he was hanging onto the cliff edge. But something changed his mind. He had helped him up instead, saving him. And the way he fought, the way he had shrugged off the mind tricks Mical had thrown at him, all those scars on his body…there was definitely more to Atton than what he allowed others to see. If Mical was honest with himself, he didn't think he would have spared Atton if their situations had been reversed. Mical was humbled by the realization that Atton was not only stronger physically, but mentally as well.

And then there was Liara…

Mical put his unfinished med pac aside and sat on the bed, head in his hands.

He loved her. He had loved her since he was a youngling at the Dantooine Academy. He remembered how fervently he had hoped that she would take him on as her padawan. He remembered the heartache he had felt when she left to go to war. How he couldn't believe the council when they proclaimed she was no longer a Jedi, that she had fallen. He remembered leaving the Order, not because he had passed the age of acceptance, but because he would rather follow whatever path Liara was on, whether it was dark or light.

But as naïve as he may be, he knew that Liara preferred Atton to him. He wasn't sure what Atton's plans were for her, but Atton had been right when he said it wasn't his place to tell him or Liara what to do in regards to their personal life. He could only hope that Atton's intentions were good, and if not, that Liara saw Atton's motives for what they were before she was hurt.

"Mical, do you have a moment?" Visas asked, standing in the doorway.

Mical stood, giving her his attention. "Of course. How can I help?"

Visas walked in, slowly, her fingers trailing the wall. "I just needed the usual ministrations."

Since she had joined their group, Mical had been giving Visas personal care daily to help with her numerous wounds, though she had vehemently refused at first. Atton had many battle scars, but those on Visas were of a different variety. She never spoke of what had happened to her while she was enslaved by Darth Nihilus, but Mical had been in medicine long enough to recognize the marks of torture.

Among Visas's many injuries, there were some that caused constant pain, despite being done to her long ago. Mical hadn't been able to figure out how it was done, but her old master had somehow used the Force to inflict these wounds and sustain the agony. Mical had no idea how Visas managed to function while under such duress. He also wasn't sure how to undo the damage. All he could do was dull the pain with his medicines and more recently, the Force. But for his healing to be most effective, it had to be done daily.

Mical nodded at Visas, leading her to the bed he had been sitting on. Once she was seated, he went to the medbay door and locked it. It was one of her requests while he worked, she never wanted anyone besides Mical to see her in any state of undress.

Once the door was locked, he turned to the sink and washed his hands. Visas shrugged out of the top of her robes. Mical turned back to her, now in complete physician mode, barely noticing Visas's nude upper body. He placed his hands on either side of her waist, sending the Force through her, willing it to abolish her pain. His hands slowly skimmed up her sides and hovered over her chest, still healing. When he was done there, he lifted her veil from her head and laid it to her side. He felt her tense, as she always did, when he did this. She was very self-conscious about her eyes, or lack thereof, although her empty sockets did not bother Mical. He put his hands on the sides of her head, finishing his curative efforts. He felt some of the tension ease out of her, letting him know he had succeeded in subduing her pain for awhile.

Now that he was done, he turned away from her, allowing her some privacy while she redressed. When he faced her again, she was completely covered, not an inch of skin showing save the lower half of her face.

"Thank you," she murmured to him, her head bowed.

"It was my pleasure, as always. And, as always, I wish you would not take such a subservient tone with me. I am not your master, I am your friend."

"Well, however it came out, I appreciate what you do for me. You'll never know how much you have helped me, healed me."

He waved off her thanks. "Think nothing of it. I am here for you, whenever you need me."

He took her hand and walked her back to her dorm. Once there, he bowed to her before relinquishing her hand. "Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you," he said before leaving. Visas listened to him leave, not taking a breath until he was back in the medbay.

x x x x x

Atton walked into the cockpit to find Liara and Mandalore studying the Galaxy Map.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Liara ignored him. Mandalore didn't look up at him, either. He did, however, answer his question.

"The astromech droid gave us a message from Kelborn. We need to get back to Dxun quick. We're just mapping out the best route."

Atton went to the opposite wall and leaned against it, watching Liara. Once again, she was avoiding him. It was driving him insane! He had kissed her only yesterday, but she was behaving like she barely remembered it happening. Atton hoped that wasn't the case. He thought about it frequently and wanted to take up where he left off, if she'd give him any indication of welcoming his advances.

He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard Liara and Mandalore agree on a hyperspace route. Mandalore left the cockpit first, Liara following. Atton slid himself in front of her, blocking her exit.

She nearly ran into him. She stepped back a few paces, keeping her eyes from his.

"Atton. Please let me pass. I need to let everyone know what our next stop is."

"No. Not until you talk to me."

"Talk to you about what?" She focused on some spot next to his head rather than look at him.

"You know what. Look at me."

She kept her eyes averted. "If you're talking about what happened outside the tomb yesterday, there isn't much to talk about. We were both scared about what was going to happen and didn't think-"

"Hey! I don't get scared, and that sure as hell isn't why I kissed you. I kissed you because I…" his voice trailed off as understanding came upon him.

"Whoa. Wait a sec. That wasn't your first kiss, was it?"

Her head snapped over to his, finally making eye contact.

"No! Of course not!" she protested.

Atton smiled down at her, knowing she wasn't being completely honest.

"Well, technically, at least, it wasn't my first kiss."

"Either it was or it wasn't."

She sighed, looking away from him, again.

"My first and only other kiss was over a decade ago," Liara looked at him, expecting to see him laughing at her inexperience. He just kept smiling at her. She suddenly felt the need to explain herself.

"But it didn't really count because I didn't even know it was going to happen!" she said quickly. "Malak was just trying to make Revan jealous and the three of us were always together so I guess he thought that made me the best choice to get Revan to notice him! It didn't mean anything to either of us. I guess that's why I say technically."

"Your first kiss was with Malak?!?!? How could he have kissed you? He didn't have any lips…"

Liara grew a little angry at his teasing. "Obviously, it was pre-chin! And like I said, I had no idea it was going to happen until it did!"

Atton laughed at her blatant discomfort. Liara and Metal face? This was just too good! He was about to taunt her further when something she had said came back to mind.

"Ok, you said technically it wasn't your first kiss because your first was with Malak who you didn't care about in that way. So…that means you count our kiss as your first…because you feel something for me!"

Liara's cheeks colored. She looked at him angrily. "You are the most…infuriating man I've ever met!"

"I'm not hearing any denials…" he said.

She made a rude noise and tried to walk past him. His body took up most of the entryway, so she couldn't get by him without rubbing against him, which she wasn't willing to do.

"Lee, wait. I'm sorry for teasing you. I'm not very good at-" He sighed, closing his eyes. He opened them again, meeting her angry stare.

He sighed again. "Why do you keep avoiding me? Why can you not stand to be in the same room with me? Why are you afraid to be alone with me?"

The frustration left her eyes. She didn't say anything to him for a several seconds. "Because, Atton. I've never done this before. I had forsaken the company of others for nearly ten years. Before that, I was raised a Jedi, and I never had time to even look at another guy, much less pursue any kind of romantic involvement with anyone. I don't know how to open up to anyone, which is a necessity if you hope to have any kind of future with someone. I've done so much that I'm ashamed of. I haven't made peace with my past, how can I ask someone else…you…to do what I can't."

He was startled by her confession. His mind was trying to wrap itself around everything she had said.

_She sees a future with me! Yes! Wait, she said she won't do anything about it right now. She's done things she's ashamed of and hasn't made peace with. So have I, is she trying to tell me to confront my past?_

"I understand, Lee. I will try to respect your wishes," he said reluctantly. He caught the look of relief that crossed her face.

She stood on tiptoe, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered to him, leaving the cockpit.

x x x x x

Bao-Dur was in his usual spot in the garage. He had been so relieved to see Atton, Mical, and Liara return safely. He had been sure that something would end up transpiring between Atton and Mical. He half expected one of them not to return with the other two. He would give Atton a few days then he would talk to him again. Atton needed help in dealing with himself, and Bao-Dur was sure he was the only one onboard the Ebon Hawk who could give him the help he needed.

He heard someone enter the garage. He looked up to see Atton.

"Got a minute?" Atton asked.

"Sure."

"I wanted to talk to you about my past, seeing as how you told me about yours. I want to learn to forgive myself and move past it."

Bao-Dur nodded and handed Atton a hydro spanner, silently inviting him to help with the work as well as speak his mind.

Atton dove right in. "See, I fought in the Mandalorian Wars for one useless General after another until Revan came along…"


	6. Chapter 6

Atton and Liara were practice dueling with lightsabers in the cargo hold. Atton had shed his jacket, shirts, and gloves so his upper body was bare. Liara was still fully clothed taking only her outer robe off. Both were glistening with sweat from their exertions.

While Atton had learned how to use a lightsaber, or two in his case, fairly quickly, he still had a ways to go. And Atton wanted to be just as capable with lightsabers as he was with his blasters.

They battled furiously, Atton slashing at her, Liara swinging at him. Finally, Atton's energy shield died when Liara caught him in the chest.

Atton made a frustrated sound while Liara deactivated her shield. She saw his shield had run out of juice while she was in mid-swing. His chest had a burn slashed across the upper portion of it.

He didn't seem to have noticed it, as he was busy swearing at himself for losing to her again.

She shook her head as she walked over to him.

"What the frack am I doing wrong?" he asked himself aloud.

"You're focusing too much on offense instead of defense. When you swing with your left saber, you almost always leave yourself open to an attack."

Atton scoffed at her.

"The lightsaber is a difficult weapon to get used to, especially since you're so used to more typical melee weapons. All of the lightsabers weight is in the hilt, while swords have some heft in both the hilt and the blade.

"Now, be still so I can take a look at your burn," she said, grabbing Atton by both arms, eyeing his wound.

He looked down at himself, noticing the injury. He smiled at her. "Any excuse to see me naked, huh?"

She blushed as she remembered the time in the refresher when she _had _seen him nearly naked. He laughed, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

She shook off her embarrassment and focused on his burn. She used the Force to heal it until it was gone.

"So," Liara began, taking a step back from him. "Do you want to go again? I'm sure we can get another shield from Bao-Dur."

"Nah. My ego has taken enough hits today. How about _I _teach _you _something?"

"Like what?" Liara asked warily. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or was going to make a pass at her again.

"Let me show you some of the Echani moves I know," he said.

_Okay, he's being serious for once _she thought as she accepted his offer.

"Of course, the Echani usually do their sparring wearing nothing but their underwear," Atton added while looking her up and down, a smile upon his face.

Liara sighed. _So much for him being serious. On second thought, he's probably not joking._

"I think we can manage just fine the way we are."

Atton laughed. "If you insist. Ok, just do as I do."

He dropped into an Echani defensive stance. She studied his position a moment before doing the same.

"Alright, not bad," he said, admiring once again how quickly she was able to pick things up. "Now for the fun stuff."

He motioned for her to come at him. She did, making quick punches at his face. He deflected every punch she threw, knocking her fists aside each time. At the next punch she threw, he dodged it by moving only his upper body. He grabbed her wrist with his left hand and pulled so she ended up bent over. He used his right elbow to come down quick and hard on her upper back. She grunted but kept her feet.

Atton released her wrist and resumed his stance. She stood and flexed her back a few times before taking the same stance. She came at him again. She made several more attempts to punch him in the face, and again he blocked each attack. He was starting to laugh a little at her failed efforts until she drew her fist back and socked him right across the right cheek bone. He stopped laughing and touched the painful spot on his face. She gave him a small smile and stepped back, moving into the defensive position once more.

He took up his stance. "Ok, baby. Let's try this again," he said, beckoning her with his hands.

She came at him, but instead of blocking her throws, he dropped and swung his leg, kicking her feet out from under her. She fell onto her back, momentarily losing her breath. Atton straddled her.

"Looks like I win," he gloated.

She glared at him. "You can get off of me now," she said, her voice a little breathy from having it knocked out of her.

"I think I'm good where I'm at," he replied, moving his hips a little. Her eyes widened at the sensation.

Atton laughed.

"I thought you were going to respect my wishes."

"I lied. See, I'm a selfish guy, my wants come first. And right now all I want to do is ki-"

Liara swiftly brought her fist up, catching him under the chin. Atton fell off her, landing on his back. Liara took advantage of the moment and straddled him in return, her hands on his bare chest. He rubbed his jaw then smiled at their reversal in positions.

"My mistake, I'm good here. Now that I'm at your mercy, what do you plan on doing with me?"

Liara narrowed her eyes at him. She started to stand when he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her completely on top of him. Before she could get over her surprise, he kissed her, hard and deep, his tongue tracing the outlines of her mouth. She quickly broke off the kiss and sat up, still on him. She looked down at him and he stared back at her. He rose up, intending to kiss her again.

"Ahem."

Liara and Atton both turned to the doorway and saw Mical. Atton lay back again, crossing his arms under his head, enjoying the look on Mical's face at seeing him under Liara. Liara scrambled to get off of him, her face a bright shade of red.

"Yes, Mical?" she managed to ask.

Mical kept his eyes from her, a little embarrassed at having walked in on them in the position they were in. "K-Kreia sent me to find you. She wants the three of us to m-meditate together for awhile," he stammered.

"Oh, of course. I'll be right there." She left the cargo bay and headed to the port dormitory, not once glancing back at Atton.

Mical gave Atton a look before following her out.

Atton continued lying there a moment, remembering how her body felt on his, his lips grateful for meeting hers again. He made himself stand and walked to one of the metal canisters that he had laid his clothing on before they started dueling. He pulled his brown undershirt on.

Mira walked in, hoping to see what the commotion was. She spied Atton while he was putting his white shirt on over the brown one.

_Hmmm. _She thought, casually inspecting him. _Not bad for an old man. How old is he anyway? 30, 31? _

Atton saw her out of the corner of his eye. He sighed inwardly. He didn't have a lot of patience for the young bounty hunter. He didn't trust her.

"So, what were you doing in here that has you half-naked?" she queried.

"Sunbathing," he said, tucking both shirts into his pants. He put on his jacket and pulled on his gloves.

"Funny. Now, what were you really doing?"

"Hey, I'm not one of your targets," he said sharply. He spied Liara's robe in the corner so he grabbed it and headed for the door. Mira saw it, too, and gave Atton a knowing smile.

He walked past her, making a left in the hall so he could return the robe to its owner. Mira followed him. She had seen how Atton's eyes always seemed to follow Liara, how he paid extra close attention to Liara when she was training Mical. If it wasn't for his uncaring remarks to everyone, including Liara on occasion, Mira might think he had a thing for her. Now she comes across Atton getting dressed and bringing Liara her clothes back to her. Interesting.

Atton stopped at the entrance to the Port Dorm. He watched Liara, Mical, and Kreia. All three were already in a meditative state. Atton couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy over the fact that he was never asked to join in on these little sessions. Not that he would, but still…

"Meditation envy?" Mira asked from behind him.

Atton didn't take his eyes off of Liara. "Why don't you go sit on a rocket?"

"Calm down, sheesh. What is your problem anyway?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You know, I've hunted a lot of people in my line of work, but I never met someone who wants to get lost more than you do."

Atton started grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. Mira saw the subtle movements and backed away, holding both hands up.

"Alright, I'm going," she said as she turned and walked off.

Atton ignored her exit and continued watching Liara and Mical.

x x x x x

"Argh!" Atton yelled as he stormed into the garage. "Why can't I beat this?"

Bao-Dur had been startled by Atton's livid entrance, but then he stood passively aside, letting Atton finish venting his anger.

Atton knocked the parts and tools off of the workbench. He kicked the workbench hard, swiftly following it with another kick. Then he leaned back against the wall, panting. He slowly slid down the wall, finally sitting with one leg outstretched, the other up. He put his head on his knee.

Bao-Dur remained silent, expecting someone to come investigate the noise Atton had caused. But no one came, the ship quiet while everyone slumbered. He went to the wall Atton was sitting against and sat next to him.

They were both quiet for awhile, listening to the Ebon Hawk settle in the barely lit garage.

Bao-Dur contemplated the man next to him. Atton had told Bao-Dur everything there was to know about his past nearly a week ago. Bao-Dur was surprised his history was as dark as it was, but not as surprised as he imagined the General was when she discovered everything. Then again, Bao-Dur had expected something of this nature from Atton. He could feel it almost emanating from him. Bao-Dur hadn't asked any questions of Atton, just nodded at different places, keeping his eyes on his work. Atton did the same while he was speaking. When Atton had finished, they had continued working without talking. After awhile, Atton just left. He had started coming to Bao-Dur to vent on occasion since then though, and Bao-Dur would attempt to talk him down from his rage. It was usually late at night, when everyone else was asleep, or in Mandalore's case, otherwise occupied. He didn't think anyone knew of Atton's after hour trips. And during the day, Atton behaved more or less like his usual cocky self. But Bao-Dur now knew how Atton was struggling internally.

"Have you calmed yourself enough to talk about what has you so irate?" Bao-Dur asked, breaking the silence.

Atton lifted his head, leaning it against the wall.

"I thought that after what happened on Korriban in the Shyrack Cave my anger toward Mical would be gone. But it's not. The guy just pisses me off. I'll be minding my own business, happy as a gizka, then Pretty Boy walks in, opens his mouth, and I suddenly want to jab the barrel of my blaster in his eye."

"Well, you are jealous of him. Until you get past that, you are always going to harbor some resentment toward him."

"Are you kidding? I'm not jealous of that guy."

"Atton, you are. And it's not only because of the General, although that's a big part of it. We both know you are not proud of what you did while you were with the Sith. You are ashamed and carry a lot of guilt over everything. You hate yourself."

Surprisingly, Atton said nothing. He had been getting to where when he was with Bao-Dur, alone, he wasn't the sarcastic jerk he usually was. Bao-Dur took it to mean he really wanted to put his past behind him.

Bao-Dur continued. "And when Mical joined the group, all you could see was the opposite of everything you loathed about yourself. Mical is very nearly the epitome of the Light Sided Jedi. So, I think that even if the General wasn't a factor between you and Mical, you would still be jealous of him because he is who you think you wish you were."

Atton turned to Bao-Dur, giving him a stern stare.

Bao-Dur chuckled. "Ok, maybe you don't wish you were _just_ like Mical, but you know what I mean."

Atton sighed, studying his hands. "Look. I just want to go a day without feeling those old violent urges. I don't ever want to go back to the monster I was. I mean, how did you get to where you are now? How did you get that need for revenge to go away?"

It was Bao-Dur's turn to sigh. "I never really got over it."

Atton looked at him, astonished. "But, you are always so cool and collected."

"Perhaps, but it takes a lot of hard work."

Bao-Dur saw Atton getting discouraged.

"Look. There is a thin line between the light and dark. Men like you and I, we will always walk that tightrope. It is who we are. There is no switch to turn our darkness off. I would be the first to know if there was."

Atton put his head on his knee again, wrapping his arms around it.

"There is no such thing as 'absolute redemption.' I'm sorry to say that you can't go from murdering people to skipping merrily through the flowers. It just doesn't work that way. You will always have to battle that side of yourself. Always."

Atton looked up at the ceiling. "Great. Just great. So there's nothing I can do."

"Not necessarily. You haven't seen me do anything worse than fling a few insults Mandalore's way, have you? And he's the Head of the Mandalorians. The best advice I can give is to find a reason to stay on the path of the light. I was able to use my skills to protect planets rather than destroy them. And because of my sordid past, I can actually do that better than someone who has never done the terrible things I did with the Mass Shadow Generator. I know what to look for, what to expect. I can anticipate the terrible things.

"Make yours protecting the General. She's going to need that more than ever. We are going to be going up against more Sith Assassins, Dark Jedi, and even a few Sith Lords. But, you know what awaits her more than anyone else here does. Because you were a Sith. You _have _killed Jedi and their allies. You can defend her better than anyone else here can because you used to be the enemy. You know how they work."

Atton thought about what Bao-Dur said. He felt some of the anger dissipate. When he thought of devoting himself to shielding Liara from all harm, he felt at peace. He was surprised how right it felt. He decided he would make that his purpose, whether she wanted his protection or not.

Atton stood. "Thanks, Bao."

Bao-Dur stood. He nodded at Atton who then turned and left. Bao-Dur went back to his work.

x x x x x

Atton went to the cockpit, passing Mandalore on his way. Mandalore was passing the time with a game of Pazaak with T3-M4.

"Careful, that trash tin cheats," Atton said to Mandalore on his way by.

He smiled when he heard Mandalore let loose a few choice curses at the droid a moment later.

He stopped smiling when he entered the cockpit. He saw Liara, asleep in the co-pilot's chair. He quietly walked over to her, his eyes drinking the sight in. She was breathing slow and deep, her chest rising and falling. Her hair was loose, some of it had fallen over her eyes. Atton reached forward, brushing the tendrils away from her face. He let his hand trail softly down her cheek. She didn't wake, but she did shiver a little. She drew herself up into a little ball. Atton placed his calloused hand onto her cheek, feeling her temperature. Just as he thought, she was cold. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and covered her up with it. His heart jumped to his throat when he heard her sigh and snuggle deeper into his jacket. He stood and looked at her for what seemed like forever. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead.

Atton stood and turned to leave the cockpit. Mandalore was standing in the doorway, watching him.

Atton managed to keep his usual confident air as he walked by him, all the while wondering how much he had seen. Mandalore followed him into the main hold.

"So what was that about?" Mandalore asked.

Atton went to the counter and grabbed a bottle of juma. "What was what about?" He asked innocently.

"Don't be a fool. What were you doing with Liara in the cockpit?"

"Nothin'," Atton answered, pouring himself a glass.

"Sure as hell didn't look like nothing. Looked like you were kissing her to me."

"Look, the only thing you caught me doing was trying to cop a feel," Atton countered. He drained his glass and poured himself another.

"If that's what you were doing, it ends now. That kind of thing don't sit well with me."

Atton laughed into his glass before downing it. He poured another.

"But," Mandalore expressed, taking a seat. "I don't think that's what you were doing."

"Oh yeah? What do you know?"

"I know what I saw. Not that I blame you. She's a beautiful and strong woman. A hell of a fighter. I can name several of my clan who are more than interested in her after she bested Bralor in the Battle Circle."

"So why don't you go after her, then?"

Mandalore chuckled. "I got my own warrior woman. Jedi, to Republic Hero, to Sith Lord, to Prodigal Knight. She never does anything halfway."

Atton heard the slight wistful tone in his voice.

"Where is she?" Atton asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Mandalore leaned back in his seat, legs splayed, and looked to the ceiling.

"I don't know where she is exactly. She's out saving the galaxy. Protecting the innocents and taking down the not-so-innocent."

Atton didn't say anything else, just finished off the drink in his hand.

Mical walked in, his hair a little untidy from sleep.

"Gentlemen," he said, walking to the caffa dispenser.

"There is no escaping you, is there?" Atton asked, exasperated. "Isn't it past your bedtime, kid?"

"I am not a child. I am free to do _what_ I want, _when_ I want."

"Fine. But I warn you, _I_ only came in here to do two things, kick some ass and drink some juma."

Atton held the near empty bottle of juma up to the light, inspecting it. "Looks like we're almost out of juma."

Mandalore burst out laughing.

Mical muttered something under his breath. He got his cup of caffa and headed back to the starboard dormitory.

Instead of filling his glass, Atton drank straight from the bottle until it was dry. "I'm going to bed," he told Mandalore when he had finished, setting the empty bottle on the counter.

Mandalore just chuckled some more. He watched Atton go back to the cock pit instead of going to his bunk in the dorm.

Atton looked at Liara, still sleeping in the co-pilot's chair under his jacket. He got her robe out of the storage unit by the pilot's chair. He still hadn't had the opportunity to return it to her. He climbed into the pilot's chair, pulling her robe over him. He breathed in deep, her scent clinging to her robe.

Atton glanced over at her once more. She had an arm hanging off the side of her chair. He reached out and took her hand in his. He let sleep claim him, her hand still in his.

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_A/N: "I only came in here to do two things, kick some ass and drink some juma. Looks like we're almost out of juma." _

_This line is my nod to the actor who voiced Atton. The same actor said this particular line (sub beer for juma) in another movie. It just always cracks me up when I hear it so I couldn't resist using it here._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: ADULT CONTENT! ADULT CONTENT! ADULT CONTENT! This is my first attempt at any kind of adult scene like this chapter has, so please, go easy on me. And no flames over it if you don't like that kind of thing. You have, after all, been warned._

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Mical was in his usual spot in the medbay. It was his favorite place to go and think.

Now that he was sure that Liara would never see him the way he saw her, he was able to feel some sense of closure. He could feel himself moving on. He still cared for her, would do anything she asked of him, but he wasn't pining for her like he had been for so long.

Mical had also begun to see Visas in a different light. They started talking more after their healing sessions. Mical found Visas to be intelligent and just as deep a thinker as he was, though her views on the galaxy and the people in it tended to be a little…pessimistic.

While he usually found something good in everyone, she reacted with suspicion and disbelief at any kind act, like she was waiting to see some hidden motive behind it. Mical could hardly fault her for feeling that way with everything she had been through, but it saddened him to see her so jaded.

Mical wished his healing abilities extended to the spiritual scars instead of being limited to the physical ones.

"Thinking hard?" he heard Visas ask from behind him. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"No," he answered quickly. "I was just waiting for you."

"Shall we begin then," she stated rather than asked.

"Of course. Please, have a seat."

He went to the medbay door and locked it then went to the sink to wash his hands, trying to simply go through the motions. He knew that behind him Visas was partially disrobing. The thought made him uneasy for the first time. He continued scrubbing at his hands though they were clean, not wanting to turn around until he had his feelings under control.

"Mical?" Visas asked.

Mical ran a hand through his blonde hair. The overwhelming feeling of…well, he wasn't sure what it was…abated somewhat. He turned to her, hoping that since she was blind she wouldn't be able to tell how undone he was at the moment.

He immediately started blushing when he saw her bare chest, grateful that she couldn't see him. He tried to keep his eyes on hers, or rather, where they would be.

"Mical, are you okay? You seem nervous."

"N-no, no. Not nervous. I just have a lot on my mind."

She sighed as she waited.

He went up to her and placed his hands on either side of her waist, close to touching her but not. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.

_Focus, you fool! She is counting on you to alleviate her pain and you cannot do that if you are too busy thinking what you are thinking._

At that, he squared his shoulders and sent all other thoughts out of his mind. He felt the Force flow through him and into Visas. His hands roamed over her upper body, floating, healing wherever he could feel that she needed it. When he finished there, he gently lifted her veil from her head, putting it aside.

For the first time, he noticed how beautiful she was, even with her scars. She had pale, creamy skin and short, brown hair that he suddenly realized had hints of red when it caught the light. Her lips were full, maybe excessively so, and were a deep burgundy color. The color made Mical think of her voice, which was always deep and husky yet soft and feminine.

He placed his hands on the sides of her face without touching her. He continued healing until he heard a small sigh of relief come from her.

Usually, Mical would immediately turn around to allow her to redress in private. This time, however, he found himself staring at her face, her mouth. She gave him a half smile.

He realized what he was doing and quickly walked to the sink, clearing his throat. He heard a rustling sound behind him and he silently thanked the Force that she was getting dressed.

He felt her hand on his arm, gently turning him to face her. When he did, he was shocked to see her upper body was still nude.

"Visas? What are you doing?" he asked quickly.

She said nothing, just wrapped her scarred, bare arms around his neck and brought his face to hers. She pressed her lips to his. Mical was unresponsive at first, too surprised to do anything. Then he tentatively placed his hands on her waist and kissed her back. Visas pressed herself to him, deepening the kiss. Mical's arms went around her and he turned, still holding her. He put her against the wall, continuing to kiss her.

_What do you think you are doing? This is not right. She is lonely and you are preying on that weakness, not to mention you are still trying to get past your feelings for Liara._

He tried to argue with himself. After all, she came onto him. As soon as he thought that, though, he was ashamed. He reluctantly moved away from her.

"Visas. This is wrong. We cannot do this."

"I don't understand. You were kissing me back. How is it wrong?"

"I cannot bring myself to take advantage of you in this way. I…want us to do things right, take things slow."

"What if I don't want to take things slow?" she asked, taking a step toward him.

He backed up. "Please, Visas. I'm trying to do what's best for you. We have never even spoken of whatever feelings we may have for each other. You don't need some guy pawing at you at the first sign of romantic interest."

Visas smiled and stepped forward again.

Mical didn't back up this time, he just squeezed his eyes shut. "Visas. You know I'm right about this. It is taking everything in me not to finish what we started, so please, please get dressed."

Visas hesitated, unsure of what to do. She wanted him, had wanted him for quite some time. But she had only recently become aware that he felt something for her as well.

She had never taken a relationship slow. Then again, the only ones she had were the ones with the Sith aboard the Ravager. Those 'relationships' could hardly be called healthy. She realized that he was asking to go slow for her and for himself. He wasn't the type to go to bed with someone right away. She slowly got redressed, deciding to take things slow, for him.

Mical carefully opened an eye and peeked at her. Once he saw she had donned her robes again, he opened both eyes completely. She was getting ready to put her veil on when Mical stopped her. He took her face in his hands, his thumbs tracing lightly under her empty sockets. He was a little taken back by his boldness but he didn't remove his hands. She brought her hands up to his.

"I'm sorry, Visas. I like you, even more than I had realized. But I cannot let you do something you will regret later." He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, then let go of her. He unlocked the door and stepped aside, letting her pass after she pulled on her veil. Once she had gone, he closed the door and locked it, letting out a long sigh.

x x x x x

"How many times must I caution you against forming unnecessary attachments?"

Kreia and Liara were sitting alone in the port dormitory, continuing with Liara's lessons.

"These people are my allies," Liara argued, meeting the old woman's gaze. "I fight next to them. I protect them just as they put their life on the line for me."

"And what if one of them was cut down in battle? What then?"

Liara turned her head, closing her eyes. She didn't like to think about someone in her crew getting hurt. Or worse.

"Your silence is very telling. If something was to happen to one of your companions, you would do everything in your power to help them," Kreia admonished.

Liara looked back at her. "And why is that a problem?"

"It is a problem if it distracts you from our mission. There is much more at stake than the lives of these few people. If you insist on developing close relationships with everyone on this ship and one of them was to suffer a fatal wound, you would be rendered useless. And then the threat that is getting closer all the time will be unstoppable.

"However," Kreia interjected slowly. "That is not to say you can't take advantage of their belief of in you. You carry a powerful influence over each of them. You are a leader, and their kind always need such."

"I am no leader. Not since I was a General in the Mandalorian Wars. We all work together here."

"Tell yourself whatever lies you must, so long as we succeed in our task. But perhaps you are something more than a leader. I am not blind. I see what they see, hear their voices when they speak to you, and notice the change when they speak to others." Kreia's voice had a tint of frustration.

"Why are you so angry?" Liara asked.

"I know many things, and I know what I am not. I am no figurehead. I speak with a voice that will never move others. I speak with a passion that goes unheard."

"Kreia, that is not true. I value your council very much," Liara told her honestly, taking her hand in hers.

Kreia couldn't help but smile under her hood. Liara was her one weakness, and she knew Liara viewed her almost like a surrogate mother. But Kreia soon took her hand from Liara's and went on with her sermon.

"They obey you because you are a leader, and something more. Have you noticed what has been happening? Have you felt it in them?"

"I have noticed their behavior is changing," Liara unwillingly admitted. "Atton, especially."

Kreia made her usual sound of disgust whenever Atton was mentioned. "The fool dances in your shadow for your favor. The disciple worships you quietly. The alien obeys you, even within the machines there are echoes. Watch them carefully, see their patterns and recognize the strength in it. Influence can be a weapon, one that you may need before your journey is done. Each of them has skills, is an asset in some way. Even the fool pilot has his uses. Use them, as you would any other tool. And once the tool has been used up, throw it away."

"I will view you as disposable, then," Liara countered, trying to make a point.

Kreia smiled. "Ah, then you are learning."

"I'm sorry, Kreia. I understand what you are saying, but I do not agree. These people are my friends, as are you. I would do anything, just as you said, to protect all of you. I don't see that as a hindrance. I see it as something to fight for. Each of my allies has given me so many reasons on why I can't fail. They remind me what's at stake."

Kreia stood, shaking her head. "I hope for the galaxy's sake you are right. Because if someone here dies and you do indeed become too filled with grief to keep fighting, the entire galaxy will suffer for it."

Liara kept her meditative pose, thinking over what Kreia had said.

"I will leave you to your reflections," Kreia whispered as she left, closing the door behind her.

Now that she was alone, Liara felt the tears come. She brought her knees up to her chest, laying her cheek on them. She managed to keep herself from falling apart in front of the others, but when she was by herself with her thoughts, she wasn't able to hold her emotions back.

She always feared someone in the group dying, even before she and Kreia had this discussion. And Liara knew it would be her fault if it happened. There had been so much death and sometimes she didn't think she could handle anymore. She carried too much already from all who died at Malachor V. Friends, enemies, strangers, all blinked out of existence at her order.

So Liara had begun taking time to herself every day, allowing herself to vent some of the emotion she normally kept bottled up. She told the others she was simply meditating on her own. Usually that was enough to afford her the privacy she craved. Lately, however, Atton had been giving her looks once she came out of her reveries that told her he suspected something else was going on.

At the thought of Atton, Liara laughed and cried, burying her face in her arms and knees.

x x x x x

_Dammit! What the hell is she doing in there?_ Atton thought angrily.

He knew he had developed some kind of weak Force Bond with Liara. Mical, Mira, and Bao-Dur had as well. But Atton's seemed to be the strongest, save her and Kreia's bond. He had been able to detect her feelings, even when she was nowhere in sight. He'd occasionally see flashes of what she was thinking, but nothing that ever made sense. From what he could tell, the others only picked up on these things if Liara willingly projected thoughts and images to them. Atton didn't know if his bond was stronger because he had traveled longer with her than the others since she had recovered her force powers, or if it was because he was the first to be trained as a Jedi by her, or if it was because of the feelings he had for her.

No one else seemed to be aware of it, but Atton had noticed for several days that whenever Liara went to 'meditate' on her own, she was really grieving over something. Then Atton would end up with this crippling feeling of sadness. At first, Atton didn't know what it was. After seeing images of Malachor V and images of Jedi, he realized he was feeling what Liara was feeling. Of course, whenever she emerged from the dorm, her face betrayed nothing, though Atton could still feel some of the grief coming from her.

He hadn't told anyone of his bond developing to the degree it had, not even Bao-Dur. But he couldn't take feeling her intense depression. He had to tell her. Maybe they could find a way to shield him from her daily crying sessions.

_No time like the present_ he thought as he headed in her direction.

He quietly opened the doors and stepped inside, closing them again behind him. Liara didn't hear him. Atton saw her sitting in the middle of the floor, her knees drawn up with her arms wrapped around them. Her head was resting on her arms. He heard a quiet sob come from her.

Atton had thought he was prepared to see her distressed since he had been detecting her feelings for the past few days. But he was still a little astonished to actually see her so saddened. He was so used to seeing her in control of herself. He didn't like seeing her like this.

"Liara?"

She got to her feet quickly, keeping her back to him.

"Atton? What are you doing in here?"

Atton saw her wiping at her face with her hands. He took a step toward her. "What are _you _doing in here? And don't give me some crap about meditating. What's wrong?"

Liara laughed half-heartedly. "What makes you think something's wrong?" Her back was still to him.

"Because I can feel it! I've been feeling it the past few days! Every time you come in here to 'meditate' I end up so depressed I want to fling myself out of the airlock!"

She still didn't turn to face him. "I don't know what you're feeling, Atton, but I am not the cause of it. Please, leave me alone for awhile."

Atton grew angry at her for dismissing him so off-hand. He quickly closed the distance between the two of them and grabbed her shoulder, turning her to him. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. Atton's exasperation immediately left him, replaced with concern.

"Atton, please. It's nothing. I'm fine," she told him, forcing a small laugh. She kept her eyes wide and unblinking, afraid if she didn't the tears would fall. Atton continued to look down at her, his brows furrowed, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly.

The frustration returned to him. His hands still on her shoulders, he shook her. "No you're not, dammit!" he said, nearly yelling. "Why do you keep shutting yourself off like this from everyone?"

He stopped shaking her when he heard her quietly cry out. The tears were finally making their way slowly down her face.

Atton looked at her another moment before taking her in his arms, his lips seeking hers. He kissed her softly, and he was surprised when she kissed him back. Her arms went around him, holding him as tightly as he held her. Atton left her mouth and kissed her cheeks, his lips getting wet from her tears. He kissed her neck and heard her moan. He pulled back from her and started trying to pull her robe from her shoulders. He expected Liara to stop him but instead she helped to remove the offending garment. Atton shrugged out of his jacket and then went back to her, capturing her lips with his again.

Atton felt Liara's hands tremble as they went to his undershirts and pulled them out of his pants. He relinquished her mouth so he could pull both of his shirts over his head then threw them behind him. Liara was undoing her belt. She dropped it to the floor, her tunic becoming loose without the belt to keep it wrapped tightly around her. After removing his own belt, Atton stopped undressing so he could watch Liara. She had taken off her boots and pants, her tunic coming almost to her knees.

Atton could see how scared she was as she slowly let her tunic fall from her body. He saw an image in his head telling him that this was Liara's first time. Not that he didn't already know. Her having been kissed only once before him said it all. She stood in front of him in her underwear, just like she had when he first laid eyes on her. Only this time she looked afraid rather than confident. Atton couldn't believe someone so stoic was looking at him with such fear and unease.

_Am I really going to take advantage of her like this?_

Liara began pulling a bra strap down off her shoulder.

_Pfft. Of course I am. I just hope she doesn't hate me after._

As he shed the rest of his clothing, Liara sat on her bed, naked, anxiously waiting whatever came next. He went to her, gently laying her back on the bed. Atton climbed on with her, hovering above her. He moved between her legs, his arms still holding him up, keeping him from laying completely on her.

Atton felt Liara's breathing quicken. She shyly reached for him, her hands roaming over his back and chest. His breath caught in his throat at her touch. He sat back up on his knees and let his hands feel her flat belly then move up to her breasts. He cupped both, his thumbs skimming over her hardened nipples. She gasped at the sensation. He bent over her and licked one nipple before taking it in his mouth. He suckled and gently nipped at it with his teeth. Liara's fingers laced through his dark hair, holding his head to her.

Atton sat back up and looked down at her. Her hair was fanned out around her on the pillow. Her skin looked soft and supple in the dim lights of the room. Her lips were swollen and red from his kisses. She had never looked more beautiful to him.

He moved his hands back to her stomach then cupped her waist. He put his arms under her and pulled her up to him. He kissed her again, harder this time. His tongue entered her mouth, her tongue meeting his. Atton laid her back down, this time going with her, never breaking off the kiss. He heard Liara moan through his lips as she felt his full weight upon her.

He reached between them and felt for her center. He felt her moisture coat his fingertips. Atton slowly rubbed her clit, all the while still kissing her.

"Atton!" she cried softly, breaking off the kiss as she squirmed beneath him.

Now that he was sure she was ready for him, he grabbed her legs and spread them a little more, allowing him better access to her. She arched to him right as he entered her. He was still at first, his face in a grimace at how tight she was. He finally began to move, slowly in and out, resisting the urge to just pound into her.

He caught a look of pain as it flashed across her face. With his eyes squeezed shut, his forehead on hers, he asked her if she was ok. Liara moved a hand to his face and kissed him in response. She moved her hips with his, wrapping her legs around him. Atton made a low growl as he continued to thrust into her, his head cradled in her neck, as he hugged her tighter to him.

And so they spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's arms, left alone by the rest of the ship, by the rest of the galaxy.

x x x x x

Liara slept cuddled to Atton's side, even though it was only early evening. Atton held her, staring at the ceiling. His fingers moved in soft circles over her arm and her side.

He had never done this before, lain with a woman after the deed was done. And he sure never asked them if they were alright in the middle of the act. He stopped lying to himself for once. He loved her. He would die for her. It was ironic, considering he always put himself first, worried about saving his own skin before he worried about others. But he would gladly give his life to save the woman he held in his arms.

The thought didn't scare him anymore. Instead he was strangely fulfilled. Well, almost fulfilled. He felt he wouldn't be completely at peace until he knew she felt the same way, heard her say the words. But for now, what they had was enough.

Atton fought off sleep, knowing they'd be disturbed soon enough by Mira or Visas when they were ready to come in and go to bed. So he just kept his arm around Liara, a smile upon his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Atton stood in the shower, one hand on the wall, letting the hot water run over him. His dark hair, almost black from being wet, fell into his face, water dripping from the tendrils.

He had just come from Liara's bed, managing to leave without waking her. He had headed straight to the refresher and, mercifully, he didn't encounter anyone on the ship.

Atton lifted his head and let the water rain down on his face. He kept replaying what had happened with Liara in his mind. Never had he felt so…high. His time with her had been the best he'd ever had, despite her inexperience. Or maybe because of it. Or maybe it was neither. Maybe it was because he loved her and being with her had simply sealed the deal.

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Atton still couldn't understand how he had fallen for her. She was beautiful, to be sure, but he had been with women who were just as gorgeous. And she was so annoyingly _good,_ with all her kind acts and talk of honor and doing the right thing. He personally had no qualms about knifing someone in the back or gunning down someone's allies in order to get the job done. Force knew, he had done both plenty of times with the Sith.

_What the frack does she see in me? There must be something or she wouldn't have slept with me. I can't believe someone like her is wasting their time on someone like me._

As soon as the thought entered his mind, he was immediately reminded of _her._ The last Jedi he had killed. His feelings of elation were replaced with self-loathing.

She had sought him out, telling him he was Force-Sensitive and that, sooner or later, the very people he worked for would come for him and turn him into a Dark Jedi. He had known she was telling the truth because he had heard of people disappearing in the ranks. But he had been so consumed with his hatred of the Jedi that all he could think of was how he would love to kill her. So he tortured her more than anyone should have been able to stand. And right when he thought she would die, she opened his mind to the Force, showing it to him through her eyes. Atton saw for the first time what he had been doing, felt what harm he had been causing to all life. The feelings were almost incapacitating. He finally came back to himself, and in a rage had killed her.

But the seed of doubt had been planted. Atton fled the Sith and changed his name, hiding out with the thousands of displaced soldiers and families on Nar Shaddaa. He wasn't sure why he was running at first. His duties as a Dark Jedi would be no different from what he had already been doing, really. But he hated the Jedi, good and bad, and had no desire to be one. Then there was the 'reprogramming' that would have happened. He had seen the Dark Jedi after they had been turned from the light side. They were no longer themselves, almost like they had been brainwashed. Even the Force-Sensitive Sith, who already had that touch of malice, came back different once they became Dark Jedi. The thought of having his identity taken from him, his choices no longer being his own, terrified him. So he deserted. But the memories of all he had done stayed with him. Especially those of that last Jedi woman.

Never before had he felt such guilt and remorse. She didn't have to die. She wasn't on his list of targets. She had come to him in attempt to save him from the fate that awaited him. She allowed herself to be captured by him, knowing full well what he would do to her. She wasted her life to save him. _Him._

_ Why did she sacrifice herself for me? Why did Liara give herself to me? Liara would give her life for mine, too, just like that Jedi_ _did. I know she would. _

_I am beyond contemptible. No one is more undeserving of what these two women have given me._

A tear made its way down his face. Atton felt his self-disgust intensify. He brought his wrist up to it, stopping it in its tracks. Then another tear leaked down his other cheek. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the flow, but they just kept coming down, mixing with the water from the shower. He brought both hands to his eyes, trying to ebb the trickle by pressing the meat of his palms into them. He stood there like that for a moment, battling his guilt and the hatred he had for himself.

Anger erupted from him and he punched the wall of the refresher. He punched again and again, his knuckles getting bloody from the assault on the metal wall. He finally stopped his attack after he saw the dent he had made in it. His blood mixed with the water, turning it pink as it spiraled down his body and into the drain. Atton examined his torn knuckles with a sense of satisfaction at having caused himself some harm. At least the tears had stopped.

He heard Mical and Mira knocking on the door, calling to him and asking what the commotion was.

"For frack's sake! Can't a guy take a shower without everyone trying to bust in on him?" Atton shouted, his voice filled with all the angst he was feeling.

Atton barely heard Mical's response through the door and over the shower that was still pouring over him. "We heard some loud banging. We just wanted to make sure you are alright."

"You know, I'm starting to think that everyone on this ship has some goal to get in here while I'm showering. I didn't realize all of you were so desperate to see my di—"

"Atton!" Mical interrupted quickly, Mira laughing quietly next to him. "There is no need for vulgarities. We were just concerned."

"Yeah? Well, take your concern to someone who needs it. Or wants it, for that matter."

Mical shook his head at the door before leaving. Mira thought about going ahead into the shower to see what…equipment…Atton was boasting, but decided against it. She didn't want that image in her mind every time she looked at him.

Once he was sure they had left, Atton finished up in the shower. He was suddenly very tired and wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep. He was tempted to go back and sleep with Liara, but he didn't know if she wanted everyone to know what they had done. He was pretty confident that if he went back to her bunk to sleep while she was still naked that everyone would figure it out. So with a sigh he went to his own bunk and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

x x x x x

"I've encountered a few more Mandalorians on Nar Shaddaa and Dantooine. I sent them there to Dxun, so be expecting them. Make them do something useful," Canderous said to Kelborn through the comm.

"Yes, Mandalore."

"So, what did you need to tell me?" Canderous asked.

"A Republic Officer sent a message. He said he needed to speak with you. An Admiral Onasi."

Canderous didn't respond at first. He and Carth hadn't spoken in years, and the last time they had seen each other, fists flew. "Did he leave a way for me to contact him?"

"Yes, Mandalore."

Kelborn gave him the needed information. Kelborn didn't ask any questions on why a Republic Admiral would be trying to reach him.

Canderous gave him a few more instructions then disconnected. He continued sitting there, thinking back to the last time he and Carth had seen each other.

It was right after Revan had left for the Unknown Regions. She left without saying goodbye to either him or Carth. Canderous had returned to Telos at Revan's request, only to find the holovid message addressed to him and Revan long-gone. Carth, it seemed, had received one as well, which was what started everything.

x x x x x

_Canderous finished watching the holovid Revan had left for him. He sat there staring at her image. He couldn't believe she was gone. He couldn't believe she had left without taking him with her._

_ "Canderous! Revan's gone!" Carth yelled as he barged into Canderous's room._

_ The Mandalorian stood and turned to face him._

_ "She's gone! She didn't even…say…" Carth's voice trailed off as he noticed Revan's holovid. "What is that?" he asked, his tone going from desperate to accusing._

_ "My goodbye from her. Didn't you get one?"_

_ "Yes, I did. But no one else got one. Not Mission, not Jolee, not even Bastila. Why'd she give you one?"_

_ Canderous shrugged his shoulders._

_ Carth narrowed his eyes at him. "What did she say to you?"_

_ "I don't see how that's any of your damn business," Canderous stated, crossing his arms._

_ Carth's eyes searched Canderous's face. Canderous met his stare with an even one of his own._

_ "I'm going to ask you a question, Mandalorian, and I want the truth."_

_ "I may be a lot of things, but a liar sure as hell isn't one of them!" Canderous informed him, deeply insulted._

_ Carth begrudgingly agreed. Canderous was the brutally honest type, never sparing anyone's feelings with his opinions, and he expected the same from others._

_ "Have you slept with her?" Carth asked. _

_ Canderous smiled inwardly. He figured that would be Republic's question. He remembered how close he and Revan had come to sleeping together one night. At the last second, though, they had both stopped themselves from going all the way. "No, I haven't."_

_ "Do you love her?"_

_ Canderous wasn't expecting that one. It took him a moment to answer. He squared his shoulders and looked Carth in the eyes._

_ "Yes, I do."_

_ Carth's response was a punch in the face. Canderous staggered back a little from the blow. Then he rushed forward, taking Carth down to the ground._

_ There were many more punches thrown, some kicks here and there, and more than a few expletives let loose. Finally, Canderous stopped. "Carth," he said, panting. "Carth…stop. We're going to…kill each other…if we keep this up."_

_ He could feel that he had a busted lip, bruises all along his face, and he was even bleeding a little from his ear. Republic may be a whiny son-of-a-bitch, but he knew how to throw a punch._

_ Republic didn't look any better. His nose looked like a pile of bleeding mush and he had a black eye that was already swollen shut. He was clutching at his side._

_ Carth managed to get to his feet just to drop into the chair that Canderous had been sitting in. Canderous stumbled to the refresher and cleaned himself up some. His implant was already repairing some of the damage he had taken. He grabbed a few medpacs from under the sink and tossed them to Carth. Carth ignored them. He just kept staring at the frozen image of Revan that was still on the holovid. Canderous took the seat across from him and looked at the image as well._

_ Carth finally broke the quiet. "Does she know?"_

_ He somehow knew what Carth meant. "Yes."_

_ Silence._

_ "Does she feel the same?"_

_ "I think she does, but I know she feels something for you, too."_

_ Another drawn out hush fell over them. Canderous stood and began pulling on some armor different from what he usually wore._

_ "I don't understand. You're a…Mandalorian," Carth spat out. "She led the Republic to victory over your people. How can you not hate each other?"_

_ Canderous adjusted some of the straps on the armor. As familiar as he was with it, he hadn't worn it before. He answered him without looking at him. "The Mandalorians harbor no ill will toward her. We were honored to have fought someone like her. The fact that she won has earned her the status of 'hero' to many of us."_

_ Carth made a rude noise at his explanation._

_ Canderous straightened up and moved around a bit in the armor, testing it out. Carth thought there was something familiar about it but couldn't place it._

_ "As for what she sees in me, I accepted her."_

_ "I did, too! I forgave her for what she did when she was Darth Revan!"_

_ "I _accepted _her, not forgave her. I accept her past, present, and future and I don't expect an apology from her for what she has done. She is who she is, not even what the Jedi Council did to her can change that. I…love her, whether she goes by the Council's identity of Mercee Sindal or resumes her role as Darth Revan. Or if she just stays plain Revan, mystery to all." _

_ Mercee Sindal. Who said the Council didn't have a sense of humor when they chose Mercee as the new name for Darth Revan?_

_Canderous bent over to grab a helmet that had been on the end table next to Carth. He put it on, connecting two tubes to it. Carth stared at the new Mandalore in front of him, his jaw hanging open in surprise._

_ Canderous gingerly picked up the holovid. He looked at it another moment before shutting it off. He placed it in a small bag he had slung over his shoulder._

_ "Where are you going?" Carth asked._

_ "She gave me my orders. See you when Revan returns, Onasi."_

x x x x x

Canderous waited impatiently for Carth to come on the line. He wondered what he could want after all this time.

_Maybe he's heard something about Revan. _His pulse quickened at the thought. It had been nearly four years since he had seen her.

Admiral Onasi finally came into view on the projector.

"Mandalore."

"Admiral."

They didn't say anything to each other for a moment.

"I see you are still wearing the same armor you were the last time I saw you. Ever come up for air?"

"I see you've been promoted to Admiral. How do you like pushing papers?"

They continued sizing each other up. Canderous sighed. "You got in touch with me first, Carth. What do you want?"

"You're on the Ebon Hawk."

Canderous didn't say anything, just waited for Carth to get to the point.

"I was wondering, if maybe, you had found anything out about…Revan."

Canderous tried not to feel too disappointed. _He doesn't know anything new about her._

"No, the Ebon Hawk's navicomputer is locked. I can't see where she's been. The droids don't know anything. I don't know any more than you do."

It was Carth's turn to be disappointed. "Oh. I see. I just thought…well, it doesn't matter."

Canderous could see that Carth had nothing more to say. Neither did he. "Carth, you have my word that if I hear anything about Revan, I will let you know."

Carth started to say something but didn't. He merely nodded then shut off the feed.

Canderous went to the Starboard Dorm and dug into his bag. He found the holovid he had been looking for and carried it back to the main hold. He turned it on, watching Revan's image and listening to her voice.

x x x x x

Mira and Visas made their way to the Port Dormitory. They didn't say much while they walked, neither was big on small talk.

Mira opened the doors and stepped inside. Visas followed, shutting the doors behind her. She was about ready to drop from all the training she had put herself through during the day. Not to mention her little make out session with Mical earlier.

Visas almost ran into Mira when she abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"What do we have here? Liara's clothes are all over the floor."

Visas looked around Mira and noticed the crumpled heap. She glanced over at Liara and noticed her bare shoulder peeking out from under her covers. Mira saw it, too.

They looked at each other.

"Wow," Mira said. "Looks like she had some fun."

As surprised as she was with Liara, Visas kept her voice and face neutral. "It is not any of our business. We should get some sleep. I believe we land back on Dxun tomorrow."

Mira ignored her. Having grabbed her own pillow from her bed, she began hitting Liara with it. "Wake up, Miss Not-So-Innocent-Anymore. Wake up!"

Visas, horrified, tried shushing Mira. She attempted, in vain, to take the pillow from her hands, but Mira spun out of reach, laughing. It was too late anyway. Liara bolted upright from bed to see what was going on. Mira smirked when she saw that Liara was indeed, naked.

"What's happening? What's wrong?" Liara asked.

"Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep," Visas told her.

Mira waved Visas off. "I want to know who you were in here with dressed like you are."

Visas frowned at Mira's bluntness. _Leave it to someone raised by Mandalorians to speak so brusquely._

Liara looked down at herself, realizing she was nude. She sighed, then got out of bed to get some night clothes on, not bothering to cover herself. She may be shy getting undressed in front of a guy, but not in front of other women. You couldn't grow up sharing a room with a bunch of other girls then go on to war without losing some modesty when it came to changing clothes.

Liara pulled on a white short sleeve top followed by a pair of white shorts. The top and bottom were both a little short, showing her stomach and most of her long legs but she didn't care. When she went to bed, she wanted to be comfortable. Besides, she always made sure she was fully dressed before she left the dorm. She started gathering her clothes that were littering the floor.

Mira knew full well who Liara had been with, but decided to test something first. "It was Mical, wasn't it?" She saw Visas stiffen a little at the question. _Hah! I knew it. The Sith and the Jedi's Poster Boy, what a pair._

Liara almost laughed at the idea of doing what she did with Atton with…_Mical._ Mical was a nice guy, but she felt no attraction to him whatsoever. She put her clothes in the storage bin beneath her bed.

She also didn't know how to answer Mira's queries. She hadn't planned on any of this happening. She didn't regret it, but she didn't know if Atton wanted his exploits shared with everyone. So she ignored Mira.

Mira couldn't, or wouldn't, take the hint. "No, not Mical. It was definitely Atton." Liara's expression told her she was right.

_And I thought Visas and Mical were an odd couple _she thought._ You can't get anymore opposite than Liara and Atton. Sheesh, when did this turn into the Love Ship?_ "Wow. Atton? Seriously? I mean, the guy's easy on the eyes and he has a killer body, but he is the most annoying and smug bastard ever."

Visas silently agreed.

Liara couldn't help but defend him. "He's not as bad as all that. You just don't know him like I do."

"No arguments here," Mira said with a wink. Even Visas gave them a small smile. Liara tried to keep a straight face but ended up laughing, too.

"Ok, guys. I'm going back to sleep. I'm still pretty beat," Liara stifled a yawn when she spoke and headed back to her bed.

"I bet you are," Visas teased her.

Liara and Mira both looked at her, shocked that she had made a joke.

Mira recovered quickly, joining in with Visas. "Atton must be pretty good in the sack to leave a Jedi feeling so fatigued."

Liara smiled but said nothing, trying to feign sleep.

"Indeed," Visas quipped. "I think I may have to take a second look at our resident scoundrel."

"I'm about to throw you both into stasis," Liara warned. "Now do shut up before Kreia walks in and over hears what you're saying."

Visas chuckled and climbed into her own bed. Mira looked at Liara. "Come on, I bet the old bag could give you a few pointers."

Liara and Visas threw their pillows at her.


	9. Chapter 9

Atton walked into the main hold stretching his arms out over his head. Mira was the only one in the room and Atton didn't miss the funny look she was giving him. A look that said she knew something he didn't.

He ignored her and went to check on things in the cockpit, thinking Liara would be in there. He was usually the last to rise in the morning so she kept an eye on things in there until he woke and relieved her. But instead of Liara, he found Mandalore and HK-47, arguing over who's blaster rifle was better. He rolled his eyes and backed out of there before they could drag him into their ramblings. He saw Mical and Visas talking in the medbay. Bao-Dur was in the garage, as usual, with G0-T0 hovering behind him and criticizing his work. T3-M4 was in the engine room and Kreia was in the cargo hold meditating. Atton fleetingly wondered why she was in there instead of the dorms and headed back to the main hold.

"She's still sleeping," Mira informed him before he could say anything. "She must have had a long night."

Atton saw her smirk at him as he turned and headed to the port dorms where Liara was still slumbering. He quietly walked in, this time locking the door behind him. He couldn't believe no one came in on them last night. Atton went up to the small body that was sleeping under the covers.

Liara had gotten dressed sometime during the night and her hair was down. She was lying on her stomach with her hands tucked under her pillow. He stood there, looking down at her.

Initially, he had some fun ideas on how to wake her. But now he couldn't do it. He was suddenly afraid. He knew full well that he had taken advantage of her the previous night. She had been extremely saddened over something and instead of trying to see what the problem was, he seduced her. And she let him rather than answer any questions about why she was so upset.

_What if she hates me when she wakes up? What if she hates herself?_

Then an even more disturbing thought came to mind.

_What if she doesn't?_

Atton had finally accepted that he loved her. He hadn't planned on it and damn sure hadn't wanted to, but love her he did. She was everything he wasn't. And she never judged him, despite all his faults and past wrong doings. No one had ever accepted him unconditionally as she had. But he never dreamed of Liara feeling anything for him in return. Frankly, he found the thought intimidating.

Atton knelt beside her bed and brushed her hair out of her face. He decided to do what he did best…pretend. He'd treat her as he always had. Whether she regretted last night or not, he knew she couldn't possibly love him. After all, what did he have to offer her?

_I'll never let her or anyone else know what she really means to me. As far as everyone is concerned, she is nothing more than a bed buddy. Maybe not even that if she wakes up pissed._

Even though he had made his mind up, he still felt some apprehension when he saw her move, her eyes fluttering open. Liara looked at him and Atton unconsciously held his breath as he waited for a reaction out of her. She smiled at him and he almost literally breathed a sigh of relief. He was so relieved that he couldn't stop himself from kissing her. She kissed him back briefly before gently pushing him away.

"I must have slept in pretty late if you're up before me," she said still smiling.

"Hey, it's good to sleep in every once in awhile."

Atton stood as he saw her sit up. Liara pushed the covers off and climbed out of bed. Atton's eyes widened as he took in her attire. He had never seen her in any clothing besides her Jedi robes. Well, except the time on Peragus when he met her in her undies. Her night clothes were just a t-shirt and shorts and they looked like she had owned them for years but they showed her stomach and legs off real well. She saw him staring at her and smiled shyly.

"Mind turning around so I can get dressed?" she asked. She knew it was silly considering he had seen her naked, but she still didn't want him watching her dress. He was lucky she wasn't kicking him out of the room completely.

Atton gave her a mischievous grin before giving her his back. Liara got her robes out from under her bed and, after making sure Atton wasn't watching her, began to get undressed. "Oh, I'm really sorry, but Mira and Visas know what we did."

"You told them?" he asked, surprised. He didn't care who knew, he just wouldn't have pegged her to be the kiss-and-tell type. _That explains Mira looking at me like she caught me doing something I shouldn't._

Liara laughed. "No, but when they came in here, I was in bed naked and my clothes were strewn about the room. That's not typical of me. They could pretty much infer what had happened. I'm sorry about that. I wasn't sure if you wanted everyone to know so I was going to keep it to myself but…"

"You thought I'd be upset over the others knowing that I had sex with a beautiful woman? I'll try to hide my shame," he said sarcastically, still facing the wall.

"Good. Then I won't feel bad."

"So, keeping it a secret is obviously out."

"Well, I wasn't planning on it being a secret anyway. When you try to hide something it means you are ashamed or that you regret it and I don't feel that way."

_Thank the Force. _"Does that mean I can give Mical a play-by-play then?"

Liara scoffed. "Just because I don't feel like sneaking around doesn't mean I want to hold a meeting to announce it."

Atton couldn't stop smiling. He had been mollified that she didn't wake up swinging when she saw him leaning over her. Now, she was talking like they may even have some kind of relationship. Then he angrily reminded himself that he was mooning over her like some schoolboy with his first crush. He was only making things harder for himself.

He looked over his shoulder at her. She was in her panties and was in the middle of clasping her bra. Her back was to him but she was turned slightly so he could see her shapely backside as well as the curve of her breast. Once she had her bra on she turned to grab her tunic. She caught him watching her.

"Atton!" She quickly grabbed the tunic and held it in front of her.

Liara saw his trademark cocky half-grin as he looked her over once more before slowly turning his head back to facing the wall. "Sorry," he said, not sounding like he was sorry at all. "I thought you said you were done."

Liara shook her head as she hurried to finish dressing. "You know, sometimes I think everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie."

"Well, that's usually the case," he absently replied.

She shook her head again. "Ok, you can turn around now."

Atton turned to her to see her wearing her usual bulky robes and her hair pulled back. She looked back at him, her face in its typical emotionless expression. Due to their force bond, however, he felt that she was unsure on how to behave around him now.

He made a mental note to talk to her about their force bond later. He walked up to Liara and put his hands on either side of her face. Her eyes searched his as he leaned down to kiss her again and she tentatively returned the favor. The kiss was short lived as they were interrupted by someone trying to come in the dorm. They both looked to the entrance.

"You locked the door?" Liara asked him.

Atton glanced back at her. He shrugged his shoulders. "Only because I hoped you'd decide to jump me when you woke up and I didn't want to be bothered by anyone if that happened."

Liara narrowed her eyes at him and tried unsuccessfully to keep from smiling. They heard Mira through the door.

"Sorry to break up playtime, you two, but we are going to be landing soon. You should probably move the party to the cockpit."

With a sigh, Atton unlocked the door. Mira stood there, one hand on her hip, as she took in the two. Atton glared at her before pushing past her to go prepare the Ebon Hawk for landing. With any luck, they wouldn't get shot out of the sky this time.

Liara grabbed her lightsaber and clasped it to her belt. Mira stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

"So," Mira teased quietly. "Should the rest of us gals find another place to sleep at night so you and Atton can have the room to yourselves?"

"Of course not."

"Didn't we have a conversation not too long ago about this?"

"What are you talking about, Mira?"

"A few months ago, I asked if you and Atton had, you know, hooked up a power coupling. And you told me that you cared about him but you couldn't afford that kind of attachment." Mira sat on the edge of Liara's bed. "So, what I want to know is, what's changed?"

Liara sighed and went to sit next to Mira. "I don't know. I didn't plan on…I wasn't expecting to…" she sighed again. "I don't know."

Mira believed that. Liara was naively honest about everything.

"Have you gone from like to love?"

Liara was quiet while she thought about Mira's question. "Yes," she finally admitted out loud.

Mira wasn't really surprised. She doubted that a Jedi like Liara would have turned against the Jedi teachings of 'no romantic entanglements' unless she felt strongly about someone. Now, the fact that that someone was Atton, well, she supposed opposites really did attract.

"What are you guys going to do? Are you like, a couple now?"

Liara laughed and shook her head. "No, we are not a couple and I don't know what we're doing. I don't expect anything from him. I meant what I said when I told you I couldn't afford attachments. I ended up with them anyway, not only with Atton, but with all of you. I don't need to make things even harder by trying to 'tame the beast,' so to speak."

"What if he wants more than that?" Mira prodded.

Liara looked at her like she was insane. "I don't think that will be a problem."

Mira said nothing. She was only 23, and Liara was five years her senior, but Mira still knew more about men than Liara did. Even so, Mira didn't know how Atton saw Liara. He was one of the most selfish guys she had ever met so she didn't think his interests in Liara went beyond the carnal. But she wasn't going to tell Liara that. There was always the possibility she was wrong and besides, Liara wasn't acting like she was getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Liara was lost in her own thoughts. Her mind kept going back to what Kreia had warned her of. If someone was killed during their mission, she would indeed handle it badly. And if _Atton_ died…Liara pushed the thought out of her mind.

Then there was the darkness he seemed to be battling at all times. She wouldn't have known he was constantly at war with himself if it wasn't for the force bond they had. He kept his true feelings and motives hidden well. She tried to stay out of the others heads but sometimes emotions and images leaked through to her anyway. It was almost frightening how dark his thoughts were at times. But he was strong willed to a fault. She really believed that he wouldn't fall again unless he wanted to.

She stood and headed to the refresher for a shower. She'd enjoy what time she had with him. She'd probably end up dead before any of the others, anyway.

x x x x x

Mical and Visas were sitting in the medbay talking. Mical heard Atton walk by grumbling about not ever having any privacy as he went to the cockpit. Mical agreed about the shortage of privacy on this ship as he got up and shut the medbay door. He stood there, one hand on the door, his head hanging with his back to Visas.

"Visas, what happened while you were with Nihilus?"

Visas started, not expecting that question. She didn't respond.

Mical turned his head and looked at her. "I have to know."

"Why?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms.

He went to his chair and pulled himself over to Visas, sitting in front of her. "I think it would help you to heal if you talked about it. Not to mention, I may be able to discern a way to rid you of your painfully persistent wounds."

She turned her head and kept her arms crossed. Mical took hold of one of her arms and held her hand as he pulled her glove from it. He lightly traced his finger over the numerous scars lining her arm. She watched him but did not remove her hand.

"Let me help you," he pleaded softly.

"You can't."

Mical took her headdress off. His fingertips softly touched the skin under her sockets. "Did he do this to you?"

She kept silent.

"Did he?" Mical asked again.

She turned her head so he was no longer touching her. "Yes," she whispered. Mical put his hands on his knees, willing for her to continue.

"I do not remember it, though. My race is not born with eyes, although our skulls do have eye sockets. Our flesh simply grows over it. We have always used the Force in order to see.

"After he destroyed and devoured my home world, he came upon me, the last surviving being on Katarr. I saw him for only a moment before I lost consciousness. When I awoke, I was on board his ship, the Ravager. The first thing I noticed was something on my face. When I brought my hands up, I felt blood. It was running down my temples, cheeks, and even my forehead. I ran my fingers over my face, trying to find the wound. I found it when my fingers went _inside _my head, inside the holes he had made. He had torn away the skin covering my sockets. And if that wasn't terrible enough, he damaged my sight." Her voice cracked as she said the last part.

Mical wanted to put his arms around her and hold her close. He wanted to promise her that nothing like that would ever happen to her again. But he knew that she would push him away if he tried to touch her right now and she was too cynical to believe his assurances. So he merely listened to her.

"He showed me how…broken…people are. How marred life is. He had me convinced that the only way to get rid of the monstrosity in everything was for him to consume it. I willingly helped him after that. I helped him do…horrible, unspeakable things."

Visas looked back at Mical, lifting her chin, almost daring him to judge her. He denied her that satisfaction and returned her stare calmly. Inwardly, though, he was taken aback by this display of pride. Visas had a strong sense of honor, albeit a twisted one. But her attitude was always like that of a slave. With her gazing at him like that, he thought that maybe he was seeing a glimpse of Visas before Nihilus had broken her. It made him think she may have a chance, after all.

"Since meeting you and Liara, I see that not everyone is so cruel and callous. I see hope for the rest of us when I look at people like you. And if anyone can defeat…Darth Nihilus," she forced herself to say his name. "It is Liara."

"Did he ever…touch you?" Mical couldn't bring himself to say the word. He had heard of the Sith using rape as a form of torture.

Visas gave a humorless laugh. "No. I do not believe it would have been possible. He has no physical body to speak of. His spirit resides in his armor and he uses the Force to hold his armor and mask together. I don't know when it happened. I only know he did it to himself when he felt his body begin to decay under the weight of his hunger."

Mical was speechless for a moment. He hadn't known such a thing was conceivable.

"But we have spoken enough of him. We are tempting fate as it is. By uttering his name we chance drawing him to us," she told him.

Mical couldn't hold himself back any longer. He stood and pulled her up with him. He hugged her to him. She was stiff at first but finally put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head, trying to comfort her in the only way he knew how.

x x x x x

They had landed on Dxun a few hours ago. Kelborn reported that Queen Talia had promised safe passage to Onderon so Liara could meet with Master Kavar. Circumstances had changed, however, and Iziz was on the brink of a civil war. General Vaklu had met with the Council of Lords and had accused the queen of treason. She and Kavar were currently holed away in the palace trying to fortify their defenses against the attacks of Vaklu and his new allies, the Sith, that were sure to start in the morning.

Then Kelborn had revealed that the sensors had also picked up on some transmissions from somewhere in the jungle. Kreia informed them that the transmissions were the enemy and that if Onderon was to have any chance, the enemies on Dxun had to be stopped.

So she and Liara had devised a plan: split up and attack both enemies at the same time. Much to Atton's displeasure, Liara and chosen Kreia and Mandalore to go with her to Onderon to save the queen and meet with Kavar. He didn't understand why she hadn't asked him to go with her but he'd be damned if he was going to say anything about it. _How am I supposed to protect her when she's on one planet and I'm on its moon?_

To make matters worse, she had picked him to lead Mical and Visas into the jungle to stop whatever was out there. He didn't doubt that he could get the job done, he had infiltrated many places when he was a Sith. But he had always done it alone. Not only was he now sneaking into a place with others, but he was head of the operation. He did not want the responsibility. He also did not want to remain on Dxun while Liara dove headfirst into the troubles on Onderon. _Hell, she hasn't even left yet and I'm already worrying about her._

Now that the plans had been laid, everyone went their separate ways for the night, for in the morning, they would carry out the missions before each of them. The droids had all shut down for the night. Bao-Dur was back on the ship, trying to ready weapons and shields for everyone. Mical was preparing medpacs. Visas and Kreia were meditating, although they were both doing it alone. Mandalore was, of course, with his clan. Liara was with him, honing the details of the mission. Atton had seen Mira drag that kid, Davrel, off into one of the rooms. _Poor guy, even a Mandalorian is biting off more than he can chew with that one._

Atton himself was lying in the grass near the Ebon Hawk. He had retreated there for awhile. He was usually in the big cities so he rarely got to enjoy the peace that went along with the more undeveloped areas. He sighed. He had forgotten how much he used to love being outside under the stars. That was so long ago, when he was a different person. He didn't even take the time to look at them anymore.

He heard someone approaching him. Before he could grab his weapon, Liara called out to him. He relaxed again, crossing his arms under his head as she came up and sat beside his outstretched form. Her hair was down again and she had removed her outer robe.

"Figure out what you're doing tomorrow?" he asked, sounding almost bored.

"For the most part. Have you?"

"Yep," he said, stretching his arms. "Make our way to the enemy compound, take out the bad guys, then make our way back here."

Liara, having long ago grown used to his attitude, merely smiled and said, "Sounds like a good plan."

Atton reached a hand out and played with a strand of her hair that had blown in his direction. They both remained quiet for awhile, enjoying the silence. He stopped playing with her hair and began to lazily rub her back with one hand.

"Lee?"

"Hmmm?"

"These force bonds, is it normal to feel what the other person is feeling on accident?"

"In some cases. The master will occasionally pick up on things from the apprentice until the apprentice is strong enough to block those kinds of…transmissions."

"What about if it's the other way around? You know, the apprentice accidently getting feeds from the master."

Liara shrugged. "It can happen, though not often. It typically occurs when the two have an exceptionally strong bond. Or if the apprentice is unusually strong in the Force."

Atton thought about that for a moment. He didn't think he was any stronger with the force than the others. But did he and Liara really have that intense of a bond? He hoped not. He didn't want that kind of attachment to anyone, even Liara.

Liara turned her head to him. "You said something about that yesterday. Are you really picking up on my thoughts and emotions?"

Atton pulled his hand away from her. "Yes. And it's been happening every day. That's why I knew you were upset yesterday. And the days before that. I didn't understand what it was at first."

Liara looked away from him and took a second before responding. "I'm sorry. Now that I know it's happening, I can make a concentrated effort to stop that."

He thought about asking her why the past had her so upset everyday when she was usually so impassive. But he didn't. He wanted to ask her why she wasn't taking him with her to Onderon, but again, he refrained. He was tempted to ask her if her feelings toward him were serious at all, but he couldn't.

The way he felt about her had his emotions in turmoil. He enjoyed being around her and craved her attentions, but at the same time, he hated himself for being weak where she was concerned. So he kept his mouth shut for once and went back to fingering her hair.

x x x x x

Sion was in his chambers studying all he could find that referenced Liara. He had memorized her early life and her years on Dantooine. He knew her background with the military during the Mandalorian Wars and of her decisions on Malachor. He even knew the details of her exile from the Jedi. And it still wasn't enough. Sion had become obsessed with her.

He thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And all the information he could gather on her only increased his infatuation.

While rereading some files he had on her, a chunk of his shoulder fell off and landed on the desk. Sion focused for a second and the flesh reattached itself to him. He went back to his research. Sometime later, his skin started separating at the scar sights, allowing blood and even some tissue through. He roared with rage and used the Force to sew up the cracks in his skin.

_Look at you. All these years and still you are weak. _Traya's voice whispered in his head. _You are nothing._

He ignored Traya's words. He had grown used to having her in his mind. But recently, the exile had invaded his thoughts, as well. Though unlike Traya, she never spoke. She was just an audience to his failings. A constant shadow that never gave him a moment's peace. He hated her for being Traya's pet, and for making him have these unacceptable feelings.

Sion was literally falling apart. His hatred and anger were the only things keeping his torn body together, the only things keeping him alive. And his fixation with the exile was diminishing those feelings. It was not allowable. If he wanted to live, she was going to have to die.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: Ok, a few things. First, I know my last few chapters have been a little slow. The next one will pick up a little. I promise! I've been setting the groundwork for certain things I want to happen later on down the road. There is a method to my madness! But, I've gotten nothing but good reviews from you wonderful people, so it couldn't have been too bad ;P_

_Speaking of reviews, I'm going to start responding at the end of my chapters to any and all who commented instead of with another review. It's just easier this way._

_So, huge thanks to __**Sithmouse**__ and __**Ujemaima**__ once again for leaving me such nice reviews. And thanks to __**Darth-Xyris**__ and __**Meesh**__. I always get a tingly feeling in my special place when I get new readers. And by special place, I meant my heart, you pervs :D_


	10. Chapter 10

"Ok, there's the proximity sensor Xarga told us about," Atton said to Visas and Mical, his voice barely above a whisper.

Xarga had led Atton and his group to the tunnels they were currently in. Before taking his leave, Xarga warned them that the tunnels were lined with mines and that a proximity sensor was at the other end. If they got too close, it would sound off and alert the enemy of their presence.

"How are we going to get through all of that?" Mical asked, keeping his voice quiet to match Atton's.

Atton answered him without taking his eyes from the mines and sensor. "Alright, here's the plan. Mical, you're going to make your way through the mines, dismantling them and recovering them when you can. Then, you'll use a stealth-field generator to get up close to the sensor without it detecting you before carefully shutting it down."

Mical looked at Atton, wide-eyed. "B-But, I have no skill in those areas. I cannot do any of those things."

"I know. I just wanted to hear you say it. Ok, new plan. _I _will take care of the mines and the sensor. You two, wait here."

Atton became invisible as he activated his stealth generator.

Mical, having gotten over his initial confusion, glared at the spot he had seen Atton last. Visas shook her head. "Fool," she muttered quietly.

"Schutta," they heard Atton say from over by the mines.

Visas waved Mical off when she saw him open his mouth to refute Atton. It would be a long mission indeed if they stopped to argue every time Atton said something demeaning.

Besides, the idiot had his uses. She would have been able to sneak up to the sensor with ease, but that was it. She wouldn't have been able to disarm it and she could barely see the mines, much less deactivate them. And they'd already established that Mical couldn't do any of it.

She and Mical watched, both impressed in spite of themselves, as Atton cleared the mines one by one. He disabled most but recovered a few to be used later, just in case. Atton then went to the proximity sensor and removed a side panel. He clipped three wires without hesitation and the sensor stopped its low hum, indicating it had been shut down successfully. He stood and exited the tunnel, taking note of the Sith camp while he was still undetectable. There were no sentries nearby so he deactivated his stealth-generator. Visas and Mical made their way over to him.

"Alright, I'll take point, you two follow a few feet behind," Atton told them.

"You are volunteering to put yourself in more danger by going first?" Visas asked, somewhat surprised.

"Don't get too choked up. I'm just watching my own ass. Out of the three of us, I can move the quietest, spot the mines quicker, and see the enemy from further away. Simply put, I trust myself more than either of you. No offense, Bright Eyes."

Visas clenched her teeth. She should have known his reasons would be self-serving. She kept herself from saying anything about his remark on her 'eyes.' She reminded herself of their objective and that the sooner they finished, the sooner she could go back to ignoring the pilot.

Mical, however, felt that he had to say something. "Atton, you should really be more considerate with how you speak to others. We are your allies and we only wa—"

"We'll start there." Atton interrupted, pointing to the small Sith encampment across the field. Mical pursed his lips at Atton cutting him off. "There are a few Sith Troopers over there, but I also see a computer console of some kind. We may be able to even the odds somehow if we can hack into it."

He and Visas crouched low in the grass. Mical soon followed suit. They started forward, slowly and quietly. They came upon a sentry a few yards away from the other troopers, his back to the little group sneaking up on him. Atton stood, making no sound, and swiftly snapped the guard's neck. Atton was hidden in the grass almost immediately after, taking the dead guard with him and laying him quietly to the ground. He was getting ready to move forward again when Mical snapped a twig under his feet. Atton cursed under his breath. Mical had alerted the Sith Lieutenant to their presence.

"Intruders! Kill them!" the Sith shouted.

Visas and Mical both ignited their lightsabers and rushed into the fray. Atton pulled both of his blasters and started shooting. He was getting better with the sabers, but he still preferred his blasters in a fight. Until he was just as deadly with the lightsabers as he was with his guns, he was only going to use them when necessary. Besides, their group could use someone attacking from a ranged position.

Mical had used Force Stasis on two guards so that they were immobilized for a while. Then he turned in time to block an attack from another trooper. They struck at each other, Mical's green lightsaber against the trooper's vibroblade.

Visas was battling two guards at once, her red double-bladed saber twirling around, simultaneously deflecting attacks and dealing damage.

Atton dropped a guard with two blaster shots to the chest. He took aim at the lieutenant and fired. The officer fell, dead from a single shot to the head. Atton saw that one of the guards had recovered from the paralysis Mical had put on him and was leveling his rifle at Mical. Atton fired three times, the first barely missing as the target moved closer to Mical. The other two shots hit home, one in the hand and the other in the gut. The guard dropped to his knees and clutched at his stomach with his uninjured hand. Atton knew the man had to be in an intense amount of pain. He had never suffered a stomach wound himself, but there was no place more painful to receive a stab or shot than in the gut. The guard was crying out in agony as he held himself. Atton walked up to him. He put another shot into his head, effectively cutting off his cries.

He focused on Mical and Visas in time to see Mical cut down the guard he was battling. Visas had also reduced her number of attackers to one at some point. Atton kept his blaster aimed at the guard, waiting for a clear shot. The trooper managed to slice Visas's left thigh. She almost faltered but caught herself. She swung her saber at her attacker who threw himself out of the way…and right onto Mical's lightsaber. He looked at Mical in shock and slowly slid from the weapon and onto the ground, dead. Mical rushed over to Visas side and healed her wound.

Atton, after making sure they hadn't attracted any attention from the much larger group of Sith, started searching the metal canisters and footlockers for things they could use. There wasn't much, just an energy shield, some computer spikes, and two medpacs. He took it all, stuffing them into his jacket, with the exception of the spikes. He handed those over to Visas.

"See what we can find on the computer terminal over there," he told her. She took the spikes and walked to the console stepping over a few bodies on her way. Mical and Atton followed, watching the console screen as she worked.

After a few moments, she was in. She saw a few of the recently deceased lieutenant's logs, but ignored them. She downloaded a map of the area and then stumbled upon a file labeled "Foothold Scenario." She delved into the file, searching for its purpose. She finally came upon the details of the scenario.

"This will indeed make things easier for us," she told Mical and Atton.

"What's it do?" Atton asked.

Visas told the console to initiate the "Foothold" sequence.

"Hey! What did you just do?" Atton asked right before he heard shouts and gunfire coming from the large Sith compound across the way. Visas pulled up the security camera feed from near the building so that Atton and Mical could see for themselves what was going on.

They watched as the Sith's own gun turrets and war droids turned against them. There were many bodies already littering the ground, caught unawares by their machines' fire. After a while, the few remaining Sith managed to destroy all of the droids and turrets. Then they began to administer to their wounded.

Atton couldn't help but smile at Visas. "Not too shabby. That will definitely make our job a hell of a lot easier."

"Yes. Well done, Visas," Mical told her happily. She inclined her head to them both.

"Anyone need to heal or anything?" Atton asked. "Because right now would be the best time to continue forth, while their numbers are still down and they're injured. Besides, I imagine they'll be sending a group over here soon to discover what caused the machines to 'malfunction.'"

Mical healed a few of his wounds then told Atton he was ready to go. Visas nodded in agreement.

"Ok, let's head out. Same as before, I'll lead, and you guys stay a few feet back. Try to watch where you're stepping this time, Blondie."

Mical blushed and looked to the ground. He knew Atton was right to be angry about this so he said nothing.

The three again crouched low to the ground and made their way toward the large building. It looked like a temple, but had dark energy practically emanating from it.

They fought their way through the numerous troopers and boma beasts, taking care to stay together and heal whenever they could. They finally made it to the massive temple doors. Mical and Visas glanced at each other while Atton shut his eyes and thought of Liara. The dark side was strong in this place and he could feel it tugging at him. So he reminded himself that there was a certain exile that still needed his protection.

He took a deep breath and opened the doors. It led to a small corridor that had two more Sith soldiers in it. Atton shot both before they could draw their weapons. They continued forth to the next door. When it opened, there were two Sith Lords and a Dark Jedi waiting for them.

Visas shot lightening into all three while Mical activated his saber again and began attacking the Jedi. Atton shot one of the Sith Lords while he was still being fried from the electricity Visas had dealt out. The other one brandished a violet lightsaber and advanced on him. Atton quickly holstered his blasters and pulled his own sabers. Visas's lightsaber shown brightly when she ignited it as she went to assist Mical.

The Sith swung his weapon and Atton blocked with one saber and went for his attacker's chest with the other. He narrowly missed as the Sith jumped back. His opponent brought his saber around again. Atton tried to move out of the way but felt it slice up his side. Atton ignored the pain and swung both of his lightsabers, one at the Sith's upper body and the other aimed for his legs. The Sith Lord bent back to keep from getting slashed across the chest, but he failed to move his lower body. As a result, Atton's lower saber disconnected the Sith from his knees. He fell to the ground, staring in disbelief at the feet that were no longer attached to him. He didn't even notice Atton swinging his saber at him, again. He died, having been cut through the heart.

Meanwhile, Visas battled the Dark Jedi with her lightsaber and Mical helped using what Force Powers he had at his disposal. He fortified Visas's strength and defense before hitting the Jedi with his own bolt of lightning. Between Mical's lightning and Visas's intense melee attacks, the Dark Jedi didn't stand a chance. He fell at their feet as his last breath rattled out of him.

Mical healed everyone's injuries before they opened the temple's entrance. They had barely stepped foot into the building when Xarga caught up to them.

"We've discovered some information about this place," Xarga started. "This 'temple' is actually the tomb of Freedon Nadd. He conquered Onderon centuries ago and was entombed below the palace of Iziz. His spirit had returned, however, to assist his descendants, the King and Queen of Onderon, but also to try and resurrect himself. His plans were thwarted by the Jedi, and his remains were moved to this temple on Dxun."

"Well, this just gets better and better," Atton said sarcastically. "Not only is this a base for Sith and Dark Jedi, but it's also the tomb of a Dark Lord. Just great."

"Do you know anything else about this place?" Mical inquired.

"No. As I said, we just found out what this place was."

"Your headquarters are on this moon and you didn't realize there was a Sith tomb here?" Atton asked with frustration.

"Our priorities were getting our base up and running and building our defenses. Not the exploration of the jungles," replied Xarga defensively.

Atton exhaled loudly. "Fine. I guess this doesn't change anything. Tomb or not, we have to stop what they're doing in there so Lee can take down Vaklu. If you have nothing else to say Xarga, we've got to get moving."

"That's it for now. My men and I will cover this door and make sure no one enters or leaves. The rest is up to you."

The three made their way through the temple, going against droids, more boma beasts, and Sith before coming across an ancient terminal. When Visas hacked into it, she saw a command to open the doors to the inner tomb. She confirmed the command and saw on the security feed that the previously locked doors were now wide open.

They headed over to the downward path that led to the inner tomb. After dispatching of more Sith, they saw three Sith Lords performing some kind of rite. The Sith were casting lightning into a massive glowing red ball that was floating above them. At their feet was a pool of red energy, feeding the Sith Lords power.

_What the hell are they doing? _Atton thought. _This has to be what Kreia was talking about. I guess if we take these guys out, whatever spell they're performing will end and Lee will actually stand a chance on Onderon. _

"Break the ritual, now!" one of the Sith shouted when he spotted the small group of intruders. "You are too late. We have done what needed to be done. Soon Onderon shall fall, and with it, the Republic shall die."

Atton felt a slight moment of apprehension upon hearing they didn't make it in time. But he put the thought out of his head. They had to fight whether they were too late or not. It was possible, even probable that the Sith was lying. Besides, he doubted the Sith Lords would just let them leave.

"But what is this? Ah… of course, the Force has guided you here," the Sith continued. "It echoes within you, yet I sense it is… untrained."

Atton could have laughed. The Sith Lord was going to try to bring them over to their side. How many times had he done the same thing?

Sure enough, the evil man did just that. "It is good you have sought us out. This tomb is strong with the dark side. Here is where you will take your first steps on the path to your destiny."

Atton, Visas, and Mical remained silent, waiting for the enemy to make his move. Atton was amused by the attempt to turn him. Visas listened with contempt. She had served at Darth Nihilus's feet. As if these three _nothings_ could bring her back to the dark side now that she was on her way to redemption. Mical reminded himself of his walk on the dark side when he had attacked Atton. The memory served to strengthen his resolve to stay on the path of the light.

The other two Sith Lords kept quiet as well, watching.

"That a couple of adepts have managed to come so far is incredible. You have within you the potential to wield the Force. I am not speaking of the ways of the Jedi or their flawed teachings – their Order was rooted in weakness. They would have you become a puppet of the Force. They would have you deny the strength of your emotions, the strength of your own will."

Atton rolled his eyes. This guy didn't stray from the book when it came to turning Jedi.

The outspoken Sith raised his arms, turning slowly, basking in the dark Force that filled the room. "Can't you feel the power of this place? It echoes through you like a second voice." He dropped his arms to his sides and looked back to Atton. "Accept it…embrace it."

"You know? For someone who hates Jedi, you sure sound an awful lot like them. Trying to convince everyone to come to your side simply because it's _your _side," Atton told him.

"The Jedi," the Sith said, his voice laced with disdain. "A Jedi has no family, no childhood, no emotion. They are dead to the Force, and themselves. They want drones, slaves to the Jedi Council. At least we live, we feel the universe around us. We are the Masters, not mere tools of the Force. Can't you feel the power, here, within the walls of this tomb?" he asked again. "Just embrace it. Don't limit your potential."

"We will not be tempted!" Mical interjected forcefully. "We have come to stop you!"

One of the other Sith Lords stepped forward when Mical spoke up. "Mical?"

Mical's head swiveled to the Sith who had spoken.

"Yes. It is you. We went to the academy on Dantooine together. But I see you don't recognize my voice. I suppose it has changed since you saw me last." The Sith Lord removed his mask, revealing his face. Mical gasped in shock.

He might have been handsome once, but that was gone now. He was probably around Mical's age, but it was hard to be sure since the dark side had twisted his appearance. His brown hair was cut close to the scalp. His skin was sallow and gray. His face was hard, with stubble outlining his jaw. Like most Sith, his eyes had turned yellow.

"Sogan?" Mical asked quietly, taking a step toward the unmasked man.

"I am glad your memory has returned."

"What has happened to you?"

"I have been freed from the shackles the Order had tried to place on me. I am more powerful than I have ever been."

Mical was speechless. Sogan Tersu had been a friend while they were training on Dantooine. He had always been dedicated to the way of the Jedi. Sogan was quick to smile and had an easy manner. He managed to make friends with everyone he met. He had even elicited a laugh from Master Vrook once. To see him now, as this stranger, was shocking.

"Sogan. What happened? You used to be such a firm believer in the Jedi."

Atton kept quiet. He had seen too many 'firm believers' fall to the dark side by his own…persuasion…to be surprised by Mical's friend being here now. He slowly gripped his lightsabers' hilts, waiting for a moment to strike.

"Yes. I was just a naïve young man last you saw me. I was blindly following my Master's teachings. Then one day, not long after you left, Kanara ran off from the academy."

Mical remembered Kanara. She was Sogan's little sister. She had just been accepted into the academy when the Mandalorian wars began.

"Against orders, I went off to find her. I came across her in time to see some slave traders try to snatch her. She fought back, even breaking one guy's nose. I guess they decided she wasn't worth the trouble. One of the slavers knifed her. Right across the chest. She bled out in front of me. I wanted to kill all of them, but before I could make a move, some Jedi Masters arrived. And do you know what they did? Nothing! They did nothing! They wouldn't fight the traders! They simply disarmed them and took them into custody. Then they turned them over to Dantooine's civil law enforcers. And what's worse, those murderers didn't even go to prison! They bribed some judge and got released for 'lack of evidence.'"

Mical, still trying to get over the fact that spunky little Kanara was dead, had been dead for years, tried to comprehend at what point did Sogan go bad. "I do not understand. The Jedi took them into custody. Why be angry with them?"

"Because they should have killed them! All of them!"

"But the Jedi do not kill their prisoners."

"Maybe they should. If they had, they would not have been released back into the galaxy, free to keep committing their crimes."

Mical took a step toward his old friend. Sogan looked at Mical, his eyes filled with hate. "And then, those Jedi 'Masters' had the nerve to cite the 'No Emotional Attachments' rule to me. They said if I had refrained from forming a relationship with Kanara, then I would not be so upset. Can you believe the arrogance?"

_Hmph. _Atton thought. _Typical Jedi BS, if you ask me._

"I am so sorry, Sogan."

Sogan glared at Mical. "Save your pity. I have no need for it. After Kanara was denied justice, I left the Order to mete out my own punishment to those murdering slavers. I used the Force to kill those bastards and I felt empowered for the first time. I realized then that I belonged with the Sith. They accepted me with open arms and taught me how to become even more powerful. My only regret is that I was not a Sith when those thugs attacked Kanara. I would have been strong enough to prevent her death."

Sogan looked Mical in the eye, holding out his hand to him. "And so I ask you, old friend, will you join us? Or will you force me to deal with you in a more violent way? Do not mistake me. I will dispose of you if I must, old friendships be damned."

Mical looked at Sogan's hand and backed away, shaking his head. He stopped next to Visas and Atton. "I am truly sorry about the Jedi rebuking you for your love of your sister. There are many Jedi teachings I do not agree with, and the caution against relationships is one of them. But none of that matters. Don't you see? If you had been a Sith, then Kanara would have had nothing to do with you. She was mischievous, but she was a kind child. She always did what was right, even when it was difficult. She abhorred the Sith. Kanara's spirit is probably weeping for you now."

Sogan's outstretched hand clenched into a fist and his face contorted with rage.

"A shame…" he replied angrily, pulling his mask back on. "Instead of freedom and power, you have chosen death. So be it."

The three Sith Lords ignited their red lightsabers. Atton, Mical, and Visas did the same. The battle began, with everyone fighting one on one. Mical was blocking attacks from Sogan. Atton and the other outspoken Sith were furiously swinging their lightsabers at each other. Which left Visas and the Sith who had never spoken to fight it out.

Visas Force Choked her attacker. While he struggled for breath, she slashed at him. He managed to block it with his own saber, despite not being able to breathe. She released her hold on him and he rushed her, not taking the time to regain his breath. They fought swiftly, blocking each other's attacks and each making some assaults of their own.

He jumped away from her. Then he sent the Force through her mind, twisting reality for her. Visas gasped as she saw the temple and the others bleed away into something familiar. She was aboard the Ravager once more, lying on the cold, steel floor. Darth Nihilus was in front of her, just staring at her, his arms crossed and legs apart, his black robes and cape somehow billowing out behind him despite the fact there was no wind.

"No," she cried quietly as she scuttled backwards from him. Her back hit something and she turned and looked up. It was Mical. He had the same stance Nihilus did, only his robes were white. He stared at her blankly.

Visas looked on in confusion. Something wasn't right. Mical had never been on the Ravager, had never seen Darth Nihilus. Had he? But it hurt her head to try and fight what she was seeing.

Atton spared a glance at his companions to see how they were faring. From what he could see, Mical hadn't made any attacks of his own, he was simply blocking and dodging Sogan's. Then he looked to Visas and saw her sitting, nearly hyper-ventilating as she looked about the room. Her opponent was whispering to her as he stood over her.

_Frack. We won't last another minute if these two don't start making some progress _he thought.

"Mical! Visas is in trouble! That Sith is using an insanity trick on her and she's falling for it hard!" Atton called, jumping back from a swing his attacker made.

Mical looked to her and saw fear and hopelessness etched on her face. He had to save her before her opponent decided he was done toying with her and finished the job. But Sogan wasn't letting up long enough for him to help.

Visas heard Atton shout something but couldn't understand what he was saying. She looked wildly about the room, but didn't see him. Only Mical and Nihilus were in the room with her.

Nihilus hissed inaudible words to her.

_You betrayed me._

Visas shook her head, trying to get the vision of Nihilus out of her head.

He hissed at her again.

_You can show your remorse by ending the one behind you. Wound him, so that I may feed on him._

"No. I will not. I cannot," she said weakly, her head downcast.

_He will betray you, just as you betrayed me._

"No," she said again, trying to convince herself.

"Visas. You must sacrifice yourself to save the rest of us." Visas looked up at Mical when he spoke, not believing what he was asking of her.

"Darth Nihilus is too strong. You said so yourself. But he is connected to you. If you die, his strength will wane. Then I can kill him. You must do this. To save us all. To save me."

"Visas!" she heard Mical shout. But it wasn't coming from the Mical in front of her. "Visas! Listen to me! You have to fight it off!" She still couldn't see where the voice was coming from. She clutched at her head and started rocking, feeling her mind strain under everything.

_Kill him. _Darth Nihilus whispered in her head.

"Sacrifice yourself." Mical in front of her.

"Fight it! Come back to me!" Unseen Mical.

All of their words crowded her brain, repeating themselves over and over again. She tried to hold onto the Mical she hadn't seen, and tried to ignore the other one and Nihilus. Pain shot through her mind when she did so. She screamed as she continued to rock and clutch at her head.

_Dammit! _Atton thought. _She's losing it. This guy in front of me doesn't seem like he's going to tire out anytime soon. Mical better do something quick or she's a goner._

Mical heard her scream and looked over at her. She was rocking herself back and forth as she gripped her head. He saw her attacker grip his lightsaber and ready himself to bring it down on her head as he kept whispering to her.

He threw his saber at the Sith who was about to deal her the deathblow. It imbedded itself in his back. He fell down, dead, next to Visas. Visas stopped rocking and looked around her, unsure of what was going on. Mical sighed with relief that he had saved her. But without his lightsaber, he couldn't block any of Sogan's attacks.

Sogan swung once and caught Mical across the chest. Mical dropped to his knees as he looked over at Visas.

Sogan stopped himself from attacking again. He was conflicted. He took off his mask as he stared at Mical. The way Mical looked right then reminded him of Kanara when she died. The slash across his chest, him falling to his knees, and now, as he looked at the woman across the room like she was the last thing he wanted to see before he died. Just as Kanara had looked at him before closing her eyes for the last time.

A thought struck him hard. Mical was right. Kanara would recoil from him now. He was no better than the slavers. He killed people for the same reasons the slavers did: when someone disobeyed him or proved to be more of a nuisance than a help.

"Mical, no!" Visas cried.

Sogan looked over at the woman, who was getting to her feet and rushing over to Mical. He took a step back.

Visas tried to heal Mical's wounds with some of the medpacs they had, but it was like trying to put a band-aid on a foot-long bleeding gash for all the good they did. She cursed herself for never taking the time to learn how to heal through the Force. Mical looked at her. He was still alive, but he knew it was only for few minutes. He didn't have the strength to heal himself and he knew Visas couldn't heal him. And Atton's healing abilities weren't enough to help. He stroked Visas cheek as she quietly admonished him for saving her rather than save himself. She called him a number of names while hugging him to her. Mical knew then how much she must care for him, and he for her. He took her hand and held it.

All the while, Atton and his opponent kept fighting. Atton could see that Mical was fading. Sogan was stepping away from Mical, looking like he had seen a ghost. Visas was going to be of no help at the moment, hovering over Mical like she was. Atton hadn't noticed before, but he could see the love they had for each other almost flowing between them. It made him think of Liara. If he wanted to see her again, he needed to end this fight. Now.

He parried a few more swings from the Sith as he waited for an opportunity to present itself. The Sith Lord roared as he thrust his saber at Atton. Atton used one of his own sabers to knock his attacker's saber into the ground. Then Atton slid his saber up his opponent's and across his neck, killing him instantly.

Atton, breathing heavily and limping, walked over to Mical and Visas. He stopped a few feet away. He could see there was nothing any of them could do. So he stayed away, giving Visas and Mical these last few moments alone while keeping an eye on Sogan.

Visas kissed Mical's forehead as she ran her fingers through his hair. She body ached with the need to weep but she was physically unable to do so. She tried in vain to use the Force to heal Mical's fatal wound, as if the desire to do it would be enough to make it so.

Atton saw Sogan reach a hand out to Mical. Atton pulled a blaster and pointed it at Sogan. Before he could fire, he felt Sogan send a powerful healing wave through the Force and to Mical. Mical's gash disappeared. Mical felt his energy returning to him as he sat up. He looked at Visas, wondering how she was able to heal him. She shook her head and they both turned to Sogan.

Sogan nodded at them. Then he looked up. "Forgive me, Kanara." Then he pulled a dagger out from his robes and stabbed himself through the heart.

x x x x x

The battle had ended about 20 minutes ago, but they hadn't made any move to leave yet. All three of them were exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Visas and Mical were holding each other, still grateful that he was alive. Atton was healing some of his minor wounds when Xarga entered the inner tomb. He came up to Atton. Atton was about to ask about Liara but Xarga spoke first.

"What you have done…is beyond words," Xarga said, his voice filled with a new-found respect. "You fought like a Mandalorian."

Atton couldn't care less what Xarga thought.

"When you are finished here, I will take you back to the camp. You can let the rest of your squad know what you've discovered."

"We're ready to go," Atton said quickly. Visas and Mical stood and came up beside Atton. "What happened with Liara?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: My apologies for how long this chapter took. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I hope it doesn't show too much in this chapter. And the dialogue from the Sith trying to turn the three is from the game._

_Also, thanks to __**Darth Xyris**__ for the lovely compliment. Thanks/Apologies to __**Sithmouse**__ for reading and reviewing, once again and for the yuckiness with Visas's eyes. Hope it didn't gross you out too much. And thanks to __**Ujemaima**__, again, for reading and leaving me such a nice comment._

_I hope all of ya'll enjoyed this chapter!_


	11. Chapter 11

"Xarga said that he and your friends are making good progress through the jungle," Zuka told Liara as he led her through the Mandalorian camp to their garage. "They will reach the tunnels leading to the enemy's base within the hour."

Liara said nothing as she followed Zuka. She had wanted to leave for Onderon right away, but Mandalore had told her that their transportation still needed a few minor repairs.

She was worried about Atton, Mical, and Visas. Did she make the right decision in sending them? Should she have sent someone else?

_No. I chose them because each has skills to compliment the other two's abilities. So no matter what they encounter, they will be able to handle it. No one can heal better than Mical, and he knows all the powers of the Force to strengthen the others. Visas can make use of her own Force powers, she is deadly in battle, and she can hack into any computer system. And Atton…well, he's a jack-of-all-trades._

So was Bao-Dur, in all actuality, so she had almost sent him with Mical and Visas. She had almost asked Atton to accompany her to Iziz. But she had changed her mind. This was going to be an intense battle, and she didn't want to be looking over her shoulder at him every five seconds to make sure he was okay. She knew it was ridiculous. If anyone in their group knew about self-preservation, it was Atton. But since she had realized her feelings for him, she found herself worrying over what Kreia had warned her of. She didn't think she could go on if something happened to him. Well, any of them really. So Liara asked him to lead Mical and Visas so she wouldn't be distracted by him.

She had also asked him to do it because she wanted him to see what he was capable of when he really tried. Deep down, he thought he was beneath the others. That when it really counted, he would let everyone down. She didn't believe that and it pained her that he did. She hoped that when (when, not if, she told herself) he succeeded in his mission at the enemy's camp, he would realize his worth.

"Are the repairs done on the shuttle? If the Queen is to have any chance, we need to be on our way," Liara said to Zuka.

He chuckled as they stopped at the doors to the garage. "Trust me, this is worth the wait."

Zuka opened the garage doors. Liara gasped in surprise.

"And here it is, a salvaged Basilisk War Droid," he said with pride. "Mandalore said he would make it available to you for insertion into the city of Iziz. I assure you, they won't know what hit them."

Liara was rendered speechless for a moment. The warrior in her couldn't help but feel some anticipation over the opportunity to fly a Basilisk. She remembered how, during the war, the Mandalorians would fall from their airships riding a Basilisk, bellowing their battle-cries, instilling fear into the Republic soldiers. She had always been awed by the sight in spite of herself.

She turned to Zuka, her eyes shining with excitement. "I get to fly a Basilisk?"

Zuka smiled from beneath his helm. "Yes, just like a new Mandalorian recruit proving themselves. Into the heart of war, as well. Mandalore has given you a great honor. The Basilisk war droid is the epitome of weapon technology. State of the art weaponry, armor, and maneuverability."

Liara was walking around the Basilisk, inspecting it. It was a little banged up and had been altered. Instead of riding on the outside, as was custom, a make-shift cockpit had been built to fit a small group of people.

Zuka's voice followed her. "Unfortunately, this particular war droid's weapon systems aren't fully functional yet, as are some other unimportant support systems. But she will get you to Iziz in one piece. Onderon's fighters won't be able to stop that."

Liara stopped and turned back to him. "What kinds of 'unimportant' support systems?"

Zuka held a hand up to her. "Minor systems. Nothing you need concern yourself with." He changed the subject. "We've modified the interior to hold three people. It may be a little tight, but you can manage, I'm sure. Now, Iziz is in the grip of civil war so there will be considerable resistance. They remember the last time Basilisk War Droids visited their planet. Fight ferociously. And if you die, take as many as you can with you."

x x x x x

"Everyone ready? Because we are going down now whether we want to or not!" Mandalore shouted over the alarms that were going off in the Basilisk.

They had entered Onderon space when some of the 'minor systems' Zuka had told Liara about decided to cause some problems. They were now freefalling to the planet below.

Kreia had a death-grip on her seat as she held on for dear life. If it was possible, she was even paler than usual.

Mandalore seemed to be enjoying himself. He was whooping and hollering as they fell faster and faster, the outside of the Basilisk burning a bright orange-yellow with the heat. Liara was sure that if she could see his face at that moment, he would be grinning.

Liara was somewhere in the middle. She had always wanted to ride a Basilisk so this was a chance of a lifetime. But on the other hand, being killed in a vehicle going faster than can even be imagined before crashing on a planet's surface wasn't a way she wanted to go out.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the ship. Through their Force Bond, Kreia sensed what Liara was attempting. She closed her own eyes and focused on the Basilisk. Between the two of them, they were able to use the Force to slow the falling ship down considerably. Mandalore barely noticed their decreased speed as he saw Iziz's AD Towers take aim at them and start firing. He maneuvered the Basilisk around so that they weren't hit.

Even with the Force slowing the ship, they still crashed into the middle of the Iziz Merchant Quarter. They weren't flattened upon impact, however. Over the noise of gunfire and the alarms that were still sounding off inside the Basilisk, Liara could hear people shouting:

"It's the Mandalorians! They're attacking the city!"

"Run! It's Mandalore himself!"

"Attack! We can't let them aid the Queen!"

Mandalore immediately jumped out of the Basilisk and fired upon General Vaklu's troops as they surrounded the downed shuttle.

Liara and Kreia leapt from the wreckage and began battling the small battalion that was guarding the Sky Ramp that led to the palace. When they had finally managed to take down everyone on Vaklu's side that hadn't run away at the sight of the crashing Basilisk, they headed for the Sky Ramp.

Captain Bostuco ran down the ramp to them. He wasted no time on pleasantries. "There are two force shield checkpoints along this path. Vaklu's forces have held this ramp for ever a standard hour. That means they control the checkpoints now. If we can get to the Turret Tower up ahead we can deactivate the first barrier. The forces we're encountering right now are their rear guard. The fighting will get tougher the closer we get to the front of the battle line."

"Good," Mandalore said as he hefted his weapon.

Liara nodded at Bostuco. "Lead the way."

x x x x x

Queen Talia and Master Kavar were currently holed up in the throne room in the Royal Palace. They had fortified the room as much as possible, but it was not impregnable. General Vaklu would get in eventually. Once he broke into the throne room, Queen Talia had only herself and a handful of Royalists, soldiers who were defending her against Vaklu. Master Kavar was with her for now, but once the enemy entered the Palace, he would station himself somewhere else.

Talia was trying not to worry too much. She was extremely talented with a sword, even better than Vaklu was himself. If it came down to a duel between Vaklu and herself, she had no doubt she would emerge the victor. But she knew her cousin well enough to know he wouldn't hesitate to fight dirty.

Much of the Onderon military had sided with Vaklu, and now they had discovered that Vaklu was also being aided by the Sith. The Sith had come with many beasts. They had taken a page from Onderon's beast riders and had tamed many animals. One of Talia's soldiers had even reported seeing a drexl among them.

"Your plan seems to have succeeded, your enemy has indeed revealed himself," Talia said to Kavar.

Kavar frowned. "I anticipated the Sith. Those beasts…those beasts weren't in my battle plan."

"Even now Vaklu is using them to breach the Palace. I will not surrender to that usurper. I would die first!" Queen Talia's green eyes flashed as she spoke, her pretty face in a scowl.

"Every man here would give their life to keep that from happening," one of her soldiers told her. She managed a smile. Vaklu may have persuaded some of her soldiers to follow him, but the ones who stayed were fiercely loyal to her and she didn't doubt that they would lay their life down for her. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Queen Talia looked to Master Kavar. She was about to ask him if he had any more ideas up his sleeve when she noticed the far off look in his eyes, like he was listening to something. She had seen that look many times. He was detecting something through the Force. She waited patiently for him to divulge whatever news he was picking up on.

Kavar's eyes swam back into focus and he turned to Talia. "There is hope… It is faint, but growing stronger. I think my message was received."

"Which message? What are you talking about?"

"An old student is returning. I don't think the Sith are going to know what hit them."

x x x x x

Liara, Kreia, Mandalore, and some Royalist soldiers had fought a whole barrage of Sith and Vaklu supporters before coming to the last checkpoint. There was a force shield blocking the way. One of the royalist soldiers went up to it to try and disable it. Before he could reach it, a power conductor near him blew, catching him in the blast. He was killed instantly.

Bostuco ran to the dead soldier's side, checking for signs of life that he knew wouldn't be there. Then he inspected the conductor that had exploded. He turned to Liara, shaking his head. "This isn't good. One of Vaklu's slicers has control of the security grid. He blew up that power conductor. Their slicer has to be using a Palace security terminal. They've already locked down all secondary computer systems on the Sky Ramp. Until we deal with their slicer in the palace, you can bet that there will be more surprises up ahead."

"Ok. Everyone!" Liara said loudly so her voice would reach all of the soldiers. "Watch your step from here on in. There are traps set, so stay together, watch for mines, and keep away from any power conductors you see."

Liara went up to the Force Field and thrust her silver saber into it, disrupting the charges and causing it to shut down. The group of Vaklu troopers looked at her in fear.

"She's still alive! Run! Run!"

Liara caught their eyes. Using a little Force persuasion, she said, "I will not harm you if you leave now."

The words had barely left her mouth when the traitorous soldiers turned tail and fled up the ramp. At the top of the ramp were Sith Lords. One of them used Force lightening on some of the retreaters, electrocuting them until they fell to the ground, dead. He turned to the other Sith. "Hold the Line! Those cowards will be dealt with."

Mandalore responded by shooting him several times in the chest. Liara and the others jumped into the fray, fighting with everything they had. Liara hardened her heart against the sight of her temporary allies getting cut down or shot. She wouldn't let herself get distracted. The enemy was too many for her to do more than glance at the fallen.

Kreia used the Force to bring fear and horror to their enemies. Most were immobilized with whatever images were in there head, clawing at their skulls in their terror. The remaining Royalists used the opportunity to gun them down.

Once the last Sith had fallen Liara healed herself and then went around to the others, healing a slash here and a blaster shot there.

When she was done, she addressed the group once more. "My group and I are going to continue forward. Everyone here needs to hold this area. Ensure that no one gets through. Our success depends on it."

Liara, Kreia, and Mandalore ran into the palace, Bostuco right behind them.

"We've made it to the palace. General Vaklu's troops haven't been here too long," he informed them. "Hopefully, we still have time to save the Queen. Straight ahead is the throne room. Vaklu's hand-picked troops will probably be here. I'm going to stay here and keep the intersection secure."

Liara nodded to him, then went ran for the throne room. From where she was at, she could see a giant drexl larva clawing at the shield that was still protecting the room. Then she saw Tobin, Vaklu's right-hand man, run to the doors and seal them shut, effectively cutting her off from them.

She looked to the computer terminal near the recently shut doors and saw Tobin's face leering at her from the screen.

"I'm impressed you made it this far. But you are too late. Soon, the Queen will be dead, and General Vaklu will be the new King. This is no ordinary door between us. The same material is used for the hull of capital class vessels. I'm afraid you have no way of getting through it."

"Any door can be opened, Tobin. This isn't over," Liara told him calmly.

He smirked at her. "I'm afraid it is. Now if you will excuse me, we have one last barrier to take care of." And with that he walked away.

Kreia looked to Liara. "Perhaps we should hurry."

x x x x x

"I don't know how you made it, but well done," Kavar said to Liara when she entered the room he was in. She, Mandalore, and Kreia had left a trail of bodies in their wake. She and Kreia were exhausted, but Mandalore seemed to be thriving in the carnage. "Come in, quickly, before more Sith or Separatists arrive. We really need to talk, but Kadron and I are coordinating the defense of the war. I know Captain Kadron needs someone to handle a dangerous assignment. But I'm needed here, so I can think of no one better than you to take it on."

"What do you need?" Liara asked him.

"We've managed to hold this part of the Palace, but Vaklu's forces control the rest. We need to get to Talia before the drexl breaks through the inner door. There are two security consoles in the Palace. The primary console is on the other side of the Palace. There's an expert slicer over there who has been hampering our every move. We need to transfer all primary functions to our terminal here, then disable the primary console. That will also take their slicer out of the picture. After that, we will control security again and can get to General Vaklu before he gets to Talia."

"I'll take care of it right away."

She cast a burst of speed on herself, Mandalore, and Kreia. They flew down the halls, back to the other side of the palace. They were moving so fast that the Sith and their beasts barely had a glimpse of them before they themselves were cut down or shot. Liara and the others made it the room at the end of the long corridor when the speed boost wore off. Liara opened the door to find a few more of Vaklu's troops. The soldiers began firing at them the moment the door opened. Kreia used her lightsaber to deflect the bolts back at each of the shooters, killing them.

Once they were out of immediate danger, Liara saw Captain Riiken imprisoned in a force cage. Then she saw Vaklu's slicer. It was Kiph, the twi'lek who had assisted them on their last visit to Iziz by hacking into a Starport Visa, making it an open one. Liara was able to then give it to Xaart, a spy for the Republic.

Kiph turned to her. He wrung his hands as he kept moving his eyes around the room, never stopping on anything or anyone for longer than two seconds.

"Ahhh… the Jedi arrives. I am counting on the vaunted Jedi compassion and regard for all life forms. I was hired by General Vaklu to do a job. I meant… no malice. Haha… just a misunderstanding really."

Liara narrowed her eyes at him. "You seemed to have enjoyed your job."

He tried to draw himself up as if he took offense to that, but stopped as his shifty eyes settled on Mandalore. "I take pride in my skill, and your constant avoiding my careful plans caused some measure of distress. But I can now see the error of my ways. I should go, right now, and contemplate the depth of my mistakes."

"I don't believe a word you just said," Liara replied, taking a step toward him.

Kiph backed up. "I have perhaps embellished a little bit," he said quickly. "But this is true, I am done working for Vaklu. I just want to survive."

Liara sighed. "I can tell you aren't lying about that."

"Of course not. It's obvious to me, at least, that General Vaklu is not going to win today. So survival is my first concern. I sense that causing you anymore…complications…would be counter-productive to that goal."

Mandalore grunted in disgust at the cowering figure in front of him. If was up to him the guy would already be lying in a mangled heap. But it wasn't up to him. He knew that Liara wasn't going to harm the worm.

"But you helped me clear Dhagon Gent." She couldn't help but mention his going from a help to a hindrance.

"Incidentally, perhaps. I just answered a heavily armed Jedi truthfully. Then later I helped the same heavily armed Jedi with a quick task. I waived payment, I might add. I may have helped, but I saw it as the most prudent course. I am less interested in politics than whatever can give me more…material advantages."

Liara shut her eyes and shook her head. "Just… stay here. The Royalist soldiers will deal with you."

The look of relief that crossed Kiph's face was evident to all of them. "That is fair. I will wait here. I am not a criminal, I should be fine…right?" he asked Liara, almost begging her to assure him.

She said nothing to him, just motioned for him to move away from the security console. He scurried to the far corner.

Kiph was still logged into the console, so Liara didn't have to waste time slicing into it. She deactivated the force cage that was still holding Captain Riiken. Then she opened all the security doors in the palace before finally transferring all the primary functions to the secondary console that Master Kavar was at.

"Thank you!" Riiken said as he stretched his limbs. He had been standing in the same position for several hours and his body was stiff from it. "Now that you've got me out, we need to get to the secondary security system so we can get into the throne room. Hopefully, we aren't too late."

x x x x x

The door to the throne room was indeed open when Liara and the others got to it. The drexl larva was still attacking the door, so they had made it in time to assist the Queen. Colonel Tobin heard them as they ran inside.

"Will you just die already?!" he asked, his frustration clear in his voice. "You'll go no further than this."

"I told you that door wouldn't stop me," Liara said calmly.

"You're too late," he sneered at her. He gestured over his shoulder at the animal clawing at the shield. "Our pet beast is about to breach the force field to the throne room. The Queen will be dead in moments!"

Tobin's prediction turned out to be partly correct. The drexl did indeed break through the force field. But the fate of the Queen still remained to be seen. Just as the force field shut off, the beast became frenzied.

The Sith who had been manipulating the animal with Beast Control shouted to the others. "Watch out! I've lost control of the beast!" The drexl gave an angry roar before swiping at the Sith with its massive claw. It had almost torn the Sith in two as he was knocked aside.

Colonel Tobin tried to bring order to the panicked troops. "Ignore the beast! Into the throne room! The Queen must die!"

A few soldiers managed to run inside, taking the drexl by surprise. It came over its confusion as another soldier was running by. He was knocked into the wall behind him by the animal with such force that his spine was broken. He lay there, unconscious and paralyzed. The beast spotted Tobin and Liara and stomped their way.

"Oh blast it all!" Tobin said through gritted teeth. He gripped his blaster rifle and took aim at the beast. He fired three shots, all three direct hits. The shots did little more than anger the drexl, however, and before Liara could reach him, the beast smacked him down, leaving Tobin practically dead on the floor.

Having learned from her training days on Dantooine that Drexls were immune to the powers of the Force, Liara simply focused on physical combat. Mandalore put away his rifle, having seen what little it did for Tobin, and pulled out a vibroblade. Kreia ignited her own violet lightsaber and all three of them began attacking the larva. They each fought from a different angle, confusing the beast. It couldn't make up its mind on who to attack so it generally just roared and swiped its claws or tail wildly, aiming at no one.

It did manage to get a few hits in on the group. Liara had received a huge gash along her back, which Kreia managed to heal. Mandalore had been knocked in the head so hard that he fell to one knee and stayed there for several moments until his dizziness subsided.

Liara almost swore when she saw Vaklu take advantage of the Drexl's distraction and run into the throne room. Some of his followers ran after him.

_Well, Force Powers may not work on this animal, but they'll work on us! _she thought as she cast speed and valor on the three of them.

Once that was done, they were able to finally take down the drexl larva. They hurried after Vaklu, barely taking the time to heal their injuries.

What they saw when they made it to the throne room could only be described as chaos. There was not a man or woman in the room who wasn't battling someone. There were a few dead soldiers on the ground from both sides, and many more injured. There was debris all over the floor and dust and smoke in the air. The noise of blaster fire, swords clanging, battle-cries and last-cries were almost deafening. But it was nothing Liara and Mandalore hadn't seen before. Mandalore sheathed his blade and pulled his rifle once more. He began firing at the enemies whenever a shot became available to him.

Liara calmly sat cross-legged on the floor and concentrated through the Force, using her Battle Meditation to help turn the tides of the war in the Queen's favor. Kreia kept watch over her, killing any of Vaklu's soldiers who came near.

She could sense it was working. The Royalists were becoming more confident, almost reenergized. Vaklu's supporters began to lose the will to fight. They were easily disposed of after that. Once the fighting amongst the soldiers had stopped, Liara was able to spot Queen Talia and General Vaklu at the far end of the room. They were locked in a furious battle, his vibroblade against her double-bladed sword. It was obvious to those who remained to watch that Talia was the better swordsman. It was also obvious that Vaklu was getting nervous, trying to use whatever words he could to throw her.

"Your time is at an end, Talia. Your people have abandoned you. And now your life is forfeit," he ducked as Talia swung her blade at his head.

Talia snarled at him. "You would destroy everything just for your ambition, Vaklu. The Republic, Iziz… everything!" She jumped as he tried to kick her off her feet.

"That is a gross simplification, Talia. Change is a painful process. A price must be paid. But Onderon will have a new destiny, one larger than you could even imagine. Argh!" Vaklu cried out as Talia brought her blade down on him, catching him in the arm. Blood seeped through his fingers as he gripped the wound.

Talia gave him a triumphant grin. "You're getting careless, Vaklu."

He ran up the small ramp to the dais that her throne sat upon.

"One more mistake, and you're the one who will pay the price," the Queen shouted after him.

"Damn you! Your skill with a blade won't save you from my men!" He motioned to the men who had been standing on the dais, the men who had been doing nothing while the battle had raged on. Vaklu had hoped it wouldn't come to this. He didn't want anyone saying he was weaker than the Queen and he couldn't win without resorting to tricks. But he was no fool. If using tricks was the only way he could win this fight, than use them he would. "Goodbye, Talia. Fire!"

His soldiers raised their blasters and took aim. Liara put herself in front of the Queen, her silver double-bladed lightsaber at the ready. "Your plans end here, Vaklu."

General Vaklu nearly choked when he saw her. "What?! The Jedi lives? But how?"

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises."

He managed to regain a sense of command. "Kill her and the Queen, men! Quickly, they must not be allowed to live!" He ducked behind his men as they started firing. Kreia gave a shrill Force Scream which reverberated through the enemy, tearing at them. Mandalore returned their blaster fire with his own. Liara was deflecting blaster bolts as she made her way to the soldiers. She saw Kavar out of the corner of her eye. He ran into the fight with both of his blue lightsabers on. Seeing Kavar fight with a lightsaber in each hand momentarily reminded Liara of Atton. She hurriedly pushed him back out of her mind and concentrated on the foes in front of her.

There were only four soldiers firing for Vaklu, and they were no match for a Mandalorian and three Jedi. Soon, Vaklu was alone before them, his coup in ruins before his eyes. He dropped his blade as Captain Kadron and some of the Queen's soldiers surrounded him. He would surrender for now, but he'd get his chance again.

He stumbled as the Royalists led him down off the dais. He glared at Talia, still clutching his arm, blood having long since soaked his sleeve. "You've won…this battle, Talia…" he spat out between breaths, "…but your reign won't be an easy one. The Republic is a sinking ship. And you're too attached to it."

"He is too dangerous to leave alive. As distasteful as it is, it might be best to silence him forever. Until he's dead, all of Onderon is in peril," Kreia whispered to Liara.

Liara shook her head. "As much as I respect your advice Kreia, it is the Queen's decision, not mine."

Ex-General Vaklu stood up straight as he looked his cousin in the eye. "So what will it be, _your majesty_?" he addressed her with disgust. "Send me to your best detention cell. I will be free within the week. And vengeance will be mine!" He spit on the ground then tried to stare her down. One of the Royalist soldiers clubbed Vaklu in the back at the rude gesture to his Queen. Vaklu grunted as he bent forward, but kept his feet and continued to scowl.

Talia met his stare calmly. "Are you so sure of my decision, Vaklu?"

Uncertainty crossed Vaklu's face.

"As monarch I decree you are guilty of treason. The punishment is death, to be carried out immediately. Captain Kadron."

For the first time since his rebellion had started, Vaklu was afraid. He hadn't counted on her carrying out an execution against him. He was her own cousin, her own flesh and blood! He tried to appeal to her sense of justice. "Talia, you can't. What about my trial?"

His plea did nothing to change her mind. "Your whole life has been a trial. But it's over now. You are right, we can't detain you. Too many people are still loyal to you. You've left me with no real option," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

She tried to keep from remembering how Vaklu used to be. They had been great friends as kids as well as close cousins. He was several years older than her and she had looked up to him. He, in turn, looked after her. But as they got older, his father's ambitions became his own. Jealousy and a warped sense of self-entitlement turned him into the man he was today.

Captain Kadron lined his riflemen up. "Men, ready blasters. Aim…"

Vaklu fought to keep from falling to his knees. "But you can't…this can't be…" he stammered, still in disbelief.

" … Fire!"

The firing squad let lose several shots , each hitting Vaklu square in the chest. He did a weird, wobble dance as the blaster fire riddled his body before finally succumbing to his injuries.

Talia kept her eyes from her dead cousin as Captain Kadron had his men quickly remove the body from the room. "What is done, is done," Queen Talia said to no one in particular. Then she turned to Liara. "I don't think the service you have given us can ever be repaid. I must go with Captain Kadron, the fighting must be stopped. Please remain here. I will be back shortly to try and repay you."

Liara said nothing as the Queen left with her guards. She could see that this had affected the young ruler a lot more than she let on. She turned to ask Kreia if she was all right, only to find her gone. She could sense through their bond that she was indeed okay and that she was going to rest.

Master Kavar came up to her, smiling as he did so. "We spent all this time looking for you and you came to us. I thought you might return to Onderon. Looks like just in time. But I'm sure you have many questions for me."

Liara took a deep breath. "Well, I would like to know…"

x x x x x

Kreia made it out of the throne room before Kavar got a good look at her. She had managed to shield her presence in the Force, but she couldn't hide herself from someone looking straight at her, and Kavar knew who she was and who she had been. She couldn't let him reveal anything to Liara about her, not yet anyway. So once the danger had passed, she made a hasty exit.

She came upon Colonel Tobin, still lying in the outer room where they had left him. She knelt and inspected his injuries.

"Ahh, the wound is not a mortal one. Though it has been some time since I exercised my healing powers, there is a shred of life within you still. A gift from your _Master_, no doubt."

Kreia sent the Force through Tobin's body, healing the damage. "Awaken Colonel Tobin, your part in this is not over." He stirred and slowly got to his feet. He looked about in confusion. Kreia spoke to him, using some Force Persuasion on him as she did.

"Colonel Tobin, I am with Vaklu. The war has gone against him. He sent me to rescue you, to tell you to make haste off-planet. The Jedi have struck. They had a secret academy buried on Telos, and they are showing themselves at last. We are all in danger."

Her coaxing worked. Colonel Tobin did not bother to confirm for himself if General Vaklu was dead or alive. He had to let the Sith Lord, Darth Nihilus, know of the Jedi academy. Perhaps then Nihilus would reward him by helping to free Onderon from the Republic. "Out of my way, old woman," Tobin replied angrily as he pushed past Kreia. "This war can still be won and Onderon can be freed." He raced out of the room and disappeared around the corner.

Kreia smiled from beneath her hood. "Indeed…this war is far from over."

x x x x x

Liara, Mandalore, and Kreia finally made it back to Dxun. Kreia immediately headed back to the Ebon Hawk. The first thing Liara did was ask was how the others were doing. Kelborn told her they had performed quite admirably and that Atton, Visas, and Mical had made it back all in one piece. Liara felt a weight come off her shoulders.

Mandalore stayed with his clan while Liara made her way back to the others. It almost felt like a homecoming of sorts. She couldn't wait to see everyone.

When the Ebon Hawk came into view, Liara was surprised to see Atton come running out of the ship. He looked relieved that she was there. But then he seemed to catch himself and stopped right in front of her.

"Hey, the gang's back together. I must hear all about your vacation in Onderon," he said, his half-smile bringing a full-smile to her lips.

"I single-handedly ended a war," she teased him.

He laughed. "You think you're hot stuff, don't you?"

She smirked but then answered his question seriously. "The political situation on Onderon has been dealt with. Onderon has only one leader now."

"Well, that's good, I guess. Usually when powerful people butt heads it's the little guy who suffers most," he told her with a sigh.

Atton looked at Liara while she looked back at him. Liara broke the silence. "I guess I should go and check on the others," she said quietly as she walked past him. He walked after her, his fingers reaching up to her hair and touching it so lightly that she didn't even notice.

x x x x x

With the exception of Kreia and Mandalore, they had all been in the Main Hold for quite some time, discussing everything that had happened. Atton didn't say anything, unless someone asked him something directly. He wanted the conversation to be over. He was kicking himself for not kissing Liara when he had the chance. He planned to remedy that as soon everyone else left the room. That is, if they ever shut up.

After what seemed like an eternity, everyone filed out of the room. Atton exhaled loudly as he stood.

_Finally _he thought as he started toward Liara. But before he could touch her, Mical walked back into the room.

"Liara? May I speak to you a moment?"

_Son-of-a-bitch! _Atton stomped out of the hold and went to the cockpit. _Is it too much to ask for a second alone with her? _He threw himself into his pilot's chair. _Guess I'm going to have to wait for Mical to finish. _

But after a few minutes he decided he had been patient enough. He went back to the hold. Mical and Liara will still talking. Liara looked over Mical's shoulder at him and stopped talking when she saw the purposeful look in Atton's dark eyes. "Atton?"

He said nothing as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up against him. He pressed his lips to hers, not caring that, once again, Mical was watching. When he stopped kissing her, Liara looked back up at him, dazed. Then she smiled and kissed him back. Atton broke off the kiss and pulled her after him into the cockpit, leaving a bewildered Mical behind.

Once they were in the cockpit, Atton turned to the door. He winked at Mical, then closed and locked it.

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_A/N: You guys are probably getting tired of hearing me thank you, but I'm going to keep thanking you anyway!_

_Thanks to __**Sithmouse**__ for making me smile with the compliment about that particular Atton line in the last chapter. I'm glad it made you laugh!_

_Thanks to __**Ujemaima**__ for pointing out the things you loved about the Chapter 10. I'm relieved you didn't mind me throwing an original character in there with Sogan._

_And a HUGE THANKS to all of you who are still reading these chapters!_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: There is adult content in this chapter! Do not read if you don't like that stuff!_

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"Atton, did something happen on Dxun? You seem…calmer…than usual."

Liara and Atton were lying in the pilot's chair, a tangle of naked limbs. He had an arm around her while she lay with her head over his heart, listening to it beating.

"Yeah, I guess I just had to prove something to myself and I never had a chance to put it to the test until then."

"What did you learn?" Liara heard his heart begin to beat faster.

_I learned that maybe I'm not the screw-up I thought I was. That maybe there is some good left in me after all. That I can't be away from you and not think of you. That I can't be near you and not touch you._

_ That I love you._

"I didn't learn anything I didn't already know," he told her, keeping his voice casual. "Anyway, Dxun was a cakewalk. You were the one taking on half a nation's army, Sith, and a drexl. You could have been killed and I wouldn't have been able to stop it since you had me on a completely different world."

"It almost sounds like you were worried about me," Liara teased.

"What? No, no…ok, maybe I was. But it was only because if something happens to you I'll be stuck on a ship with a bunch of losers who can't stand me."

Liara heard his breath quicken and his heart beat even faster. She had been joking with him when she said he was worried about her, but something about what she had said was making him nervous. She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. He met her gaze, trying not to squirm under it.

"You really _were_ worried about me," she said, surprised.

"No," he said quickly. "Not really."

"You like me, don't you?" She smiled. She couldn't help but give him a hard time. Usually, it was the other way around and she had to admit, it was nice to be the one doing the teasing instead of being on the receiving end. Besides, Atton was awfully cute when he was flustered.

"You're alright," he told her, looking away.

Liara gave a small laugh then laid her head back on his chest. She could feel how tense he was so she decided to change the subject.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

She felt Atton relax at the question. She heard his heart beat slow and his breathing return to normal.

"Nope. I guess my mom decided I was enough of a handful without adding more kids to the mix."

"Where is your mother now?" Liara asked.

She felt him shrug underneath her. "I don't know. I haven't seen her in seventeen years."

"You haven't seen your mother since you were thirteen? Who took care of you?"

He scoffed. "_I_ took care of me. Thirteen was plenty old enough to be able to look after myself."

She looked at him as she rested her chin on her hands. His eyes were closed. "So why did you leave her?"

"I figured I could take care of myself better than she was so I just lit out of there one day."

"She didn't try to find you?"

"Look, Lee, I'm sure your parents were heartbroken over losing you to the Jedi. But not all parents are meant to be parents. My mom fed me and clothed me and that was it. She didn't even shelter me half the time. If she was 'working' with one of her 'clients' I had to be out of the apartment. Sometimes I'd sit outside in the rain or in the heat for hours before I was allowed back inside."

He stopped talking. He had said too much. He hoped she didn't think less of him now. Atton opened his eyes and looked at her. If the news that his mother was a prostitute bothered her, she didn't show it. Then again, she never judged him over the fact that he used to be a torturer and murderer. One could hardly expect her to bat an eyelash at his mother hooking for a living. He hugged her closer to him.

"What about your father?"

Atton looked away from her again. "He was one of her clients. That's all I knew about him, that's all she knew about him. What about you? Any siblings?" he asked her, trying to get the attention off himself.

"I don't know. I didn't have any when the Jedi came for me. But I was only two when I left, so I guess it's possible I do now."

"What did your mom and dad do?" He brushed some of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Atton had originally asked about her family so he didn't have to answer any more embarrassing questions about himself, but he was surprised that he actually did want to know more about her.

"I don't know," she answered him.

"How can you not know?" he asked her, disbelieving.

"I was two when I was taken. I haven't had any contact with them since. How would I know what they do for a living?"

Everyone knew that the Jedi forbade relationships, whether they were romantic or familial. But Atton had never really thought about what that meant.

"Well," he started, still getting over his shock. "After the Jedi exiled you, why didn't you look for them?"

Liara was quiet for a moment as she thought about it. "I guess it never crossed my mind to find them."

They both let silence fall over them as they continued to hold each other. Then Liara climbed off of him and started gathering her clothes so she could get dressed.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he looked her over.

"We need to prepare to leave for Dantooine. Now that I've met with Master Kavar, we can meet him and the other Jedi Masters there."

"Hold on. We aren't going anywhere tonight," he informed her as he got out of the chair.

"Atton. I can't just lay about in here with you for the rest of the night."

"Yes, you can. Everybody has had a long day, including you. Take off can wait until the morning."

She thought about arguing with him. Once they made the jump to hyperspace, they would have several days before they arrived on Dantooine to spend however they wished. Then she remembered how tired everyone had looked while they were talking in the main hold. She sighed. "You're right."

"Damn straight," he replied with a smile. "Which means that you won't need these until morning." He took her clothes from her and dropped them back on the floor.

It was then that Liara became very aware that they were both still completely nude. She decided she was going to make the first move this time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, taking Atton completely by surprise. He got over it quickly and kissed her back, holding her tightly to him. Liara could feel him on her lower belly. She moaned at the sensation.

Never pulling back from the kiss, Atton ran his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks. He lifted her and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. He walked back over to his chair, still carrying her, and sat down, having her straddle him but not actually take him into her. He kissed her along her jaw-line and slowly traveled down her neck and chest. He kissed and sucked on the tops of each of her breasts before finally taking a nipple into his mouth. Liara's head fell back, her eyes closed, as she enjoyed what he was doing with his tongue.

She felt Atton's hand move in between them as his fingers began to massage her nub. She gasped when she felt him insert a finger into her. Then he added another finger, pumping them in and out. She moved her hips with him, riding his fingers while he began kissing her neck.

Atton smiled when she started to shudder over him. He didn't let up, though, until she collapsed against him. He brushed his lips against her forehead then kissed her mouth. Then he felt Liara hands encircle him. He groaned through their kiss then leaned back in his chair. She gently squeezed him, causing him to inhale quickly through clenched teeth.

If she kept doing what she was doing, he wasn't going to last much longer. And he wanted to finish inside of her.

He took her hand from him, kissing it. Then he grabbed her hips and settled her on top of him, impaling her. Liara was surprised at how different it felt on top of Atton then when she was underneath him. He bucked under her, driving himself deeper into her. She began moving, back and forth, up and down. She rode him faster and faster, both of their breath quickening.

Atton couldn't take it anymore. He gripped her hips and began pounding into her. Liara cried out as she hugged his head to her. He called her name as they finally came together. They laid there for some time, panting and sweating, still joined and making no move to separate.

Atton eventually did get up and put some pants on. He left the cockpit and grabbed his blanket and pillow then went back to her. And for the first time, he and Liara slept together, holding each other through the rest of the night.

x x x x x

Sion was furious. Traya had just sent him a message, telling him that the end was nearing and that he needed to prepare the Sith Academy on Malachor V for her arrival. She was ordering him around, as if she was still his master! And the sad thing was, he was following her commands. He just couldn't help himself. She said 'jump' and he would spend the rest of the day trying to leap the tallest building in order to gain her approval.

But what had him most angry was the news Traya had given him about Liara. Apparently she had taken up with one of the men in her group. Sion wasn't sure which of the men it was. All Traya had said about the man was that he was the 'fool pilot.'

He had asked Traya why she didn't seem to care more about Liara being involved with someone. Traya had said that although she deplored Liara's taste in men, it was too late for anything to put a stop to her plans. So she would feign ignorance to what was going on.

Sion wondered if it was one of the men who had accompanied her on Korriban. He could barely recall either of them as his attention was on Liara. He remembered a blonde man with light eyes who had healed Liara every time she got so much as a scratch on her. It was possible he was the one. Then there was the dark-haired, dark-eyed man who had nearly cleaved him in two when he had Liara in the air, choking the life out of her. That man had certainly gotten angry enough over the threat to Liara's life. He could be her love interest.

Or it could be neither of them. There were two other men in her group that he had yet to lay eyes on.

Just thinking about Liara touching another man and being touched in return fueled Sion's rage.

At that moment, he noticed a few of the more jagged scars on his body become faint, some disappearing all together. He realized his strength was returning to him. He stood, feet apart and fists clenched, his eyes closed as he reveled in the power he had been missing since his obsession with Liara began.

For the past couple of weeks, he had felt himself deteriorating. His fixation on Liara had been slowly bringing about his death. But his jealousy was restoring his power.

He laughed, low and deep, at the return of his fortitude. He forced himself to imagine Liara with that other faceless man. The image enraged him, which in turn strengthened him. He laughed again. Picturing her like that hurt, but he would keep doing it. After all, what was a little misery to the Lord of Pain?

x x x x x

Mical was heading back to the medbay after witnessing, yet again, Atton kissing Liara. Only this time she had kissed him back before Atton led her into the cockpit so that they could…

He blushed and pushed the thought out of his mind. He may not have been able to finish talking to Liara about what was on his mind, but she had answered his question anyway.

Mical had wanted to ask Liara how she felt about a Jedi getting involved with someone. He had nearly died for Visas and now that he was obviously going to live, he wanted to see where their relationship could go. But he was hesitant since he was trying to follow the path of a Jedi.

Then he saw Liara with Atton. Evidently she had decided to act on her feelings for him. She had seemed content with her decision. Could he do the same? Was it true that love led to the dark side? He had fallen prey to the dark side's temptations because he had been jealous. Would that happen again? And Visas was trying to redeem herself. Would this cause her to relapse to her old ways?

He thought back to his time on Dantooine before he had met up with Liara. He had been doing some research on the Jedi and he had come across some records of an old Jedi named Jolee Bindo.

Jolee had only been a Padawan when he met and then secretly married a woman named Nayama. When he discovered Nayama was strong in the Force, he tried to convince the Jedi Council to teach her the ways of the Force. They had rejected the idea, citing that since she was a young adult, she was too old to learn.

So Jolee had taken it upon himself to instruct her. Nayama had learned quickly and they had lived together happily as husband and wife for a while. But when Exar Kun started his war, it pitted Jedi against Jedi, including Nayama and Jolee. She had fallen to the dark side, he had not.

Jolee had emerged the victor in their battle, but he couldn't bring himself to kill the woman he loved and let her go. She had gone on to kill many more people, much to Jolee's shame, before getting killed herself in that final battle between the Jedi.

Despite how everything had turned out, Jolee had said that he didn't regret being with Nayama. And that he still disagreed with the Jedi's forbidding of love. His words to the Jedi Council before he left them were still famous:

"Love doesn't lead to the dark side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled, but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love, that's what you should teach younglings to beware, but love itself will save you, not condemn you."

But was it as simple as that? Could there be anything worse than physically fighting the one you loved? Seeing that person become something twisted? Or becoming evil yourself while the other remained true to the light, hurting over your fall?

This was what was on Mical's mind when he entered the medbay. He found Visas in there waiting on him. She stood when he walked in. Neither said anything, just looked at each other. She finally went up to him and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back, both still being silent.

Some time later they were lying on the medbay bed together. They were still fully clothed and had done nothing more than talk and occasionally stroke each other's arm, hand, or face.

"Are you afraid to sleep with me?" Visas asked him.

Mical looked at her in confusion. "Afraid? Why would you think that?"

Visas was embarrassed at having blurted out the question. But she was feeling that maybe Mical didn't like her as much as she thought since he hadn't made a move. She was used to men wasting no time on talk when they were with her.

"Because you haven't tried anything. I understand how you could be nervous your first time, but…" her voice trailed off when Mical sat up and looked at her.

"My first time? You think I am a virgin?"

Visas didn't say anything. Judging from his last remark, she was wrong about him being inexperienced with women.

"Visas, I am a 25-year-old man."

"Yes, but you are also a Jedi."

"I only started my training to be one a few months ago. I was a historian and scientist for the Republic before that, a man like any other."

She kept quiet, feeling extremely foolish.

Mical sighed. "But to be honest, yes, I am afraid to take that next step with you." He told her of his fears for himself and for her if they went any further.

Visas listened as he told her of his jealousy over Liara and Atton. She had been aware of Mical's feelings for Liara, and she had also noticed when those feelings began changing. But she would never have guessed he was capable of attacking anyone. She wasn't surprised to hear that Atton had beaten Mical. There was more to him than he let on, although she didn't know what it was. She was, however, a little stunned to learn that Atton had saved Mical's life. Atton made no secret of his dislike for him. They were both examples of how people were capable of anything, good and bad.

"I wish I could promise you that none of that would happen again, but I can't," Visas told Mical.

"I'm not saying I want a guarantee. I just…" he sighed. "I don't know what I'm saying."

"Why didn't you go with Sogan when he tried to get you to come over to his side?"

"I couldn't. I remembered how I felt with my momentary walk on the dark side and I could not do that again. Not to mention that Sogan showed me how wrong someone can really go. If you had known him before, you wouldn't have thought it was possible. But I guess if Revan could fall, anyone can."

"Revan redeemed herself. She gives me hope that I can, as well."

"You are well on your way to doing that, Visas, but Revan did not choose atonement. The Jedi Council forced it upon her."

"Yes, but when she found out who she really was, she didn't fall again. She went on to save the Republic."

"She was only able to do that because of Admiral Carth Onasi. He told her he wanted to be her reason to stay good, that he knew he could love her if he was given the chance. He wanted them to have something to look forward to once their mission was done."

Visas looked at Mical, letting him absorb what he had just said. When he did, he smiled at her. She took his hand in her gloved one.

"Everyone needs something to live for," she told him quietly. "I lost everything when my homeworld was taken from me. My friends, my father, my little sister and big brother. I had nothing left to fight for. So when Nihilus came for me, I didn't even care. I had lost the will to care for anything again. Or so I thought," she said, gently squeezing his hand.

Mical knew what she was saying was true. Not everyone who had fallen had lost something, but that was generally why good people turned to the dark side. Sogan had fallen when he lost what mattered most to him, Kanara.

"You are right, Visas. We can do this, if we do it together. We can be each other's reason for…everything."

She stroked his cheek as he took her face in his hands, kissing her softly.

x x x x x

"Explanation: So you see, little beeping trash compactor, meatbags are strange enough. But when they begin their mating rituals, they become even more bizarre."

HK-47, G0-T0, and T3-M4 were in the security room of the Ebon Hawk, watching the couples in the cockpit and in the medbay on the cameras.

T3-M4 beeped at the other two droids.

"Of course you do not understand," G0-T0 said to T3 in his usual superior tone. "You are merely a utility droid. Human behavior is beyond your comprehension."

"Query: Are you saying _you_ understand what they are doing, fat one?" HK asked G0-T0.

"Of course. They are procreating. This…'mating ritual'…as you call it, serves no other purpose."

"Admonishment: Do not be ridiculous! We are in the middle of a bloody war! These meatbags are not so foolish as to try to conceive at a time like this!"

"But having children is the purpose of what they are doing!" G0-T0 argued. "Look at the pilot and your master. Why else would they keep doing it, over and over again? The pilot obviously seeks to impregnate her! And now, the blonde Jedi wants to do the same with the Miraluka woman."

"Reply: For a droid, you are incredibly naïve. The last time I traveled with meatbags, my old master and a Republic meatbag went through this ritual many times. She never had any children."

"Then one of them was obviously broken."

T3 interrupted, beeping quietly, still watching the monitors.

"What do you mean, 'they are doing it because they like each other?' Look at them! Look at what they are doing! No one would commit such a grotesque act unless they had to. And the only reason humans have to is so their species does not die out."

"Disagreeing Statement: I do not believe it is the master's aim to go into battle with a swollen belly. It would get in the way of any killing that needed to be done. Perhaps the little droid is right, fat one."

The three droids looked from one monitor to the other.

G0-T0 silently thought that maybe the utility droid and assassination droid were correct, after all.

"Humans are strange," he said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Another A/N: I hope no one minds this chapter being really…mushy. I promise the rest of my chapters won't be as bad._

_Thanks to __**Ujemaima**__ for, once again, letting me know what you thought about what I've written so far. Your feedback is always welcome!_

_Thanks to __**Sithmouse**__ for, once again, reading and reviewing. You had said you liked the romance part of my last chapter, so hopefully I didn't disappoint you with this one ;P_

_And thanks to everyone else who is still sticking with me on this!_


	13. Chapter 13

Liara was sitting in the port dormitory with Kreia. They were meditating while everyone else prepared for the landing on Dantooine. Well, Kreia was meditating, but Liara was having a hard time concentrating. She was preoccupied with the upcoming meeting with the Jedi Masters. She was finally going to get the answers she had been waiting for, but a part of her was afraid to hear the truth.

_What if they tell me that I had indeed fallen to the Dark Side when I followed Revan to the Mandalorian Wars? What if they tell me that was the real reason they had exiled me? Or worse, what if they cut me off from the Force again?_

She had lived nearly ten years without it before Kreia reawakened it in her. And everyday not hearing the Force, or feeling its currents, was more difficult than the last.

"It is pointless to even attempt to center yourself if you cannot clear your mind," Kreia's voice broke into Liara's contemplations.

Liara started. "Oh! I'm sorry, Kreia. I guess I'm just a little nervous."

"I can sense that you are anxious over your impending meeting with the Jedi. What I do not understand is why."

"I'm afraid of what they are going to tell me."

"Why should you worry over what a couple of old fools with delusions of grandeur say to you?"

Liara disagreed with Kreia's opinion of the Masters Kavar, Vrook, and Zez-Kai Ell. Vrook was the only one who was getting up there in years, but that aside, Liara didn't think they were in any way arrogant. But knowing Kreia like she did, she felt it wise to keep it to herself.

Kreia continued. "They are not going to reveal anything to you that will be life changing. They are giving you answers to questions you have of your past. Nothing they can say to you will change who you are. Unless, they know you better than you know yourself."

Liara understood what Kreia was saying, but it did little to ease her mind. "What if they tell me I had fallen?"

"What if they do? Whether or not you ever fell to the dark side, you do not walk that path now. That is plain for anyone to see. So if you had fallen, I would say you have redeemed yourself. But I think we both know that you have never followed the path of darkness before in your life. You have been tempted in the past, but you always resisted. You followed Revan to war against the Council's wishes, but you saved millions in the process. And you did _not _follow Revan when she herself fell and took up the mantle of Sith Lord. You are the only Jedi who had gone to war with her that can make that claim. You have nothing to fear."

Liara felt herself become calmer listening to Kreia. Of course, Kreia was right.

Liara smiled at Kreia. "Thank you so much, Kreia. I will put the worries out of my mind. I don't know what I'd do without you and your ability to make me see reason."

Kreia waved off Liara's thanks, but smiled inwardly at Liara's appreciation. She loved Liara, like a mother loves her daughter, which made it hard to adhere to her plans. But her plans had been in motion for too long for her to stop now. Liara's fate was sealed.

x x x x x

"Atton, all I'm doing is going to talk to the Jedi Masters. I don't need a babysitter."

"I'm aware of that, Lee. I'mjust saying that maybe you shouldn't go alone."

Liara was walking to the entrance ramp of the Ebon Hawk, Atton following close behind her.

They had landed on Dantooine about an hour ago. As soon as the ship touched down on the planet's surface, Atton began feeling more than a little anxious. So when Liara told the group that she would be going to meet her old mentors alone, he tried to talk her out of it.

She pushed the button to lower the ramp. Turning to Atton, she said, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm going to be talking to them about a great many things, including the details of my exile. It's not something I'm proud of, and I'd rather not have an audience to it."

He could understand that. He certainly wouldn't have wanted to tell her about his past with the others present. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something major was going to happen.

"Please," she asked him softly. "Keep an eye on things here for me."

Atton rubbed his face with his hands, taking a deep breath. "Fine. Just…be careful. I have a bad feeling about this."

She took his hand in hers briefly, giving him a reassuring smile. Then she let go and walked down the ramp.

Atton headed back to the cockpit, passing Kreia on his way. Despite his nervousness over whatever was coming, he couldn't resist goading Kreia. He kissed the air in her direction, causing her to frown even harder than she usually did. He laughed softly.

"Out of my way, _murderer_," she said as she proceeded past him.

He abruptly stopped laughing, momentarily thinking of how he would love to make use of his old skills one last time on the old woman.

Atton may have told Liara and Bao-Dur of his past crimes, but Kreia had been the first to find out because she had dug into his head and discovered his secret on her own, against his wishes. She had sworn not to tell anyone what she had learned about him, on the condition that he stay and help protect Liara. Of course, now that Liara knew everything, Kreia had nothing over him. Or so he thought. When he had told Kreia that he had confessed everything to Liara, Kreia promised to awaken that murderous part of him, make him hunger to kill Jedi again, if he didn't continue to do as she said. He had already decided that he would stay and provide whatever help he could to Liara, anyway, so he didn't argue with Kreia. But he was also secretly afraid that she really could do what she had threatened.

Sensing what he was thinking, Kreia laughed quietly as she went after Liara.

x x x x x

Liara made her way through the ruins of the academy on Dantooine. Even though she had already been here once before since its destruction, she still felt tears burn at her eyes as she walked through it. It was the only home she had ever known and it stabbed at her very being to see it in shambles.

She felt her anger flare at what her old friend, Alek, had done to their home.

_Malek, not Alek _she reminded herself. While she knew that they were one and the same, it somehow made things easier for her to acknowledge his new persona as the one who had done all of the horrible things while Alek had died during the Mandalorian Wars.

Liara stopped walking, taking deep breaths. _Emotion, yet peace _she repeatedly inwardly over and over again. The familiar Jedi mantra helped calm her. She took another deep breath then continued her journey to the Jedi Masters.

It didn't take Kreia long to catch up to Liara. Liara was walking slowly as she took in her surroundings.

Kreia could see that Liara was hurting as she looked about the ruins of her childhood home. Despite what was to come, Kreia didn't like seeing Liara in any kind of distress.

"I know you wanted to meet with the Jedi alone," Kreia said as she stepped in line with Liara. "I will not impede on that. But I wanted to see the old academy one more time."

Liara felt some measure of relief at Kreia's presence. She had been feeling a little foolish at disregarding Atton's warning of something bad coming their way. He had yet to be wrong when he predicted trouble. So she smiled in welcome at Kreia as they headed through the decayed courtyard.

As she had promised, Kreia stopped in the main hall, allowing Liara to continue on her own. Once she was alone, Kreia walked to a dilapidated ledge that surrounded an old tree stump.

"It has been some time," Kreia said quietly as she sat upon the ledge. "The years have not been kind to us both, it seems. But perhaps now, they will see the truth."

x x x x x

Liara and the Jedi Masters had been talking for quite some time and the meeting was not going well. The Jedi Masters had finally revealed the truth to her.

Liara had asked them why they had gone into hiding. They explained they had no other choice. The enemy they were facing was hunting Jedi. That where Jedi gathered, Jedi died, along with anything else touched by the Force. Master Kavar had said, "A Jedi doesn't care if he dies, everyone does. But when we fight, when we sacrifice ourselves, it is for others, for the greater good. But our presence must not endanger others. And as long as we were visible targets, we were a threat to everyone around us."

She had asked why they didn't seek out the threat, the Sith that was hunting them down. They had told her they had tried, but that the enemy clouded itself from their sight. So they had traveled to worlds that had been ravaged by war, hoping that the enemy would reveal itself.

Liara had then come to the question that had been plaguing her. Why had they cast her out of the Order? Master Vrook had tried to tell her the only reason was because she had defied the Council's orders not to go to war against the Mandalorians. Master Zez-Kai Ell then told her there was another reason, she had come back changed. They told her she was no longer a Jedi and that if she had stayed, she would have changed them all.

Liara's initial reaction was relief. _So I didn't fall to the dark side._

She was confused, however, by what they were saying. When asked what they meant by 'changing them', they told her to take a long, hard look at her companions.

"Have you noticed that when you act, others follow?" Master Zez-Kai Ell asked. "Those that travel with you, they follow you without question, without hesitation."

"Against their instincts, and sometimes even against their sense," Master Vrook threw in.

"You draw them to you and your actions affect them strongly," Master Zez-Kai Ell continued.

"It is because you are a leader, but that still fails to grasp the meaning of what we are trying to tell you," said Master Kavar.

"You form Force Bonds with others, something that normally takes some time, but yet you do it so easily and we do not know why," said Master Vrook.

Liara was horrified. This was worse than finding out she had gone over to the dark side. She couldn't possibly affect others so strongly that they lose themselves. Could she? The very thought frightened her. And yet it made sense. Why Mira seemed to kill so easily while with her, when she normally would never take a life. Why Mandalore was very slowly getting to where he wasn't such a gruff person to those around him. And Atton…

"So…is this why you cut me off from the Force?" Liara asked.

"We did not cut you off!" Master Vrook said firmly.

Master Kavar tried to explain. "You have a deep connection to life around you. And when that life dies, you suffer. Their screams become your screams. And on Malachor V, the screams of a thousand Jedi dying, the screams of an entire people dying, are more than anyone who can feel the Force can bear. For one such as you, who feels life so strongly, who makes such connections so easily, it would have killed you. So, you cut yourself off, because you had to if you were to survive."

"But that makes no sense! I can feel the Force again!" Liara exclaimed.

"Yes, you can feel the Force again, but you cannot feel yourself," Master Vrook told her. "You are a cipher, forming bonds, then leeching the life of others, siphoning their will and dominating them."

Liara almost fell to her knees, desperate for what they were saying to be wrong, wishing she had never come.

Master Vrook did not stop speaking. "You are a breach that must be closed. You transmit your pain and suffering through the Force. Within you, you carry the death of the Force, and the death of the Jedi. And what's worse, is that bonding you have. It hasn't gone away. It's gotten stronger, and the more attachments you form, the more you draw others to you. And that is why you are a threat to us all. You are a threat to all living creatures, and all who feel the Force. Our judgment remains, exile. You must leave…and you must leave without your ties to the Force."

Liara was shocked. _No! They can't do this to me!_

Master Kavar looked at her sadly. "Forgive us, but it is necessary."

Liara tried to remain strong. If she was really a threat to those around her, she would have to let them take the Force from her. She managed to keep from crying, as hard as it was, as she said, "If this is what must be done, then I accept it."

The Masters put a stasis hold on her so she couldn't move.

Master Vrook had the grace to look sympathetic for her. He himself couldn't imagine losing the connection to the Force and he truly was sorry it had come to this. "Do not be afraid. You shall feel no pain, but this must be done. As long as you feel the Force, you are a danger to those around you."

"Enough!"

Liara couldn't see who had spoken, but from the voice, she knew it was Kreia.

"Step away from her!" Kreia shouted as she sent a Force Wave at the Masters, knocking them to the ground.

"Wh—" Master Vrook stammered as he got back to his feet.

"I said, step away! She has brought truth, and you condemn it? The arrogance! You will not harm her. You will not harm her ever again." She stepped into Liara's view.

Master Kavar looked at her, disbelieving what he was seeing. "I thought you had died in the Mandalorian Wars."

"Die? No. Became stronger, yes."

"It is as I feared," Master Zez-Kai Ell said quietly. "We have played into the hands of the enemy."

Liara was having trouble following what everyone was saying. _Enemy? Who? Surely they don't mean Kreia?_

"As you would pass judgment on her, I have come to pass judgment on you all," Kreia replied defiantly. "Do you wish to feel the teachings born of the Mandalorian Wars? Of all wars, of all tragedies that scream across the galaxy? Did you not hear its call on Dantooine, Vrook, on its scarred surface and in the minds of the settlers? And you, Kavar, so close to the call of Dxun, tell me. Did you not feel what poured from the moon, what had taken place there? Zez-Kai Ell, to hide upon Nar Shaddaa, yet blind yourself to all that happens there. So close to understanding the Force, so close to giving it up. Let me show you. You, who have forever seen the galaxy through the Force. See it through Liara's eyes, as I have. Endure what she has endured, and perhaps there is the faintest hope you will hear what she had heard."

_No! Kreia, stop this! _Liara tried to shout, but she was still immobilized.

Suddenly, what looked like orange lightening came shooting out of each of the masters, and into Kreia's outstretched hand. The Jedi Masters barely had time to scream in agony before they fell to the ground. Kreia walked slowly to their bodies.

"How could you ever hope to know the threat you face, when you have never walked in the dark places of the galaxy, faced war and death on such a scale. There is a place in the galaxy where the dark side of the Force runs strong. It is something of the Sith, but it was fueled by war. It corrupts all that walks upon its surface, drowns them in the power of the dark side. It corrupts all life and it feeds on death."

Kreia slowly walked back to Liara. Despite the Force Stasis upon her, Kreia could feel the hurt and betrayal Liara was feeling. Kreia hardened herself against it, and kept on with her sermon.

"Revan knew the power of such places, and the power in making them. They can be used to break the will of Jedi, promising them power and turning them to the dark side. Did you never wonder how Revan corrupted so many of the Jedi so quickly? The Mandalorian Wars were a series of massacres that masked another war. A war of conversion. Culminating a final atrocity that no Jedi could walk away from…"

Kreia looked deep into Liara's eyes. "…Save one."

Liara tried to turn away but couldn't. She wanted to ask Kreia why, but her voice wouldn't work.

"And that is what I sought to understand. How one could turn away from such power, give up the Force, and still live. But I see what happened now. It is because you were afraid."

With that, Kreia sent another Force wave at Liara, so strong, it knocked her unconscious, as well as negated the stasis field that had been surrounding her. Kreia took a moment to look at Liara. A small part of her told her it wasn't too late to stop this. To allow Liara and her companions to finish their mission against Darth Nihilus and Sion then go about their lives. But her plans had been in place for far too long. No, she would see this through. She had to.

She needed to go to Atris, the Jedi historian who was blind to her own fall. But she needed to take care of Liara's allies first…

x x x x x

Mical was in the port dormitory. He had been meditating with Kreia before she had gotten up to see Liara off but now that he was alone, he decided to practice 'listening to others' as Kreia had taught him.

He didn't bother trying to hear the droids or Bao-Dur. Kreia had told him that the alien's thoughts were impossible to read. He had tried on his own anyway, and discovered that she was right. He was always met with black silence when he tried.

Mical focused in on Visas. He detected her in the medbay, practicing her healing.

Ever since his brush with death on Dxun, she had insisted on learning how to heal through the Force. She and Mical had both been pleased that she picked up on it so quickly. She seemed to have an aptitude for healing and protection, even more so than she did for destruction.

_Thank the Force I am getting better at this. No one is going to die while I am here, not now._

Mical smiled at her determination and effort that she was putting into learning. He left her and went to Mandalore.

Mandalore's thoughts were chaotic and didn't make a lot of sense. Mical soon figured out that Mandalore was dreaming. He was using the downtime they had to sleep for an hour or two. Mical didn't know how he was able to operate as well as he did with so little sleep. He assumed it had something to do with the implants he had.

All Mical could gather from the swirl of thoughts from Mandalore was that he was pleading with a man named Jagi to forgive him.

Mical was surprised at hearing that. Mandalore was not the type to ask forgiveness for anything from anyone. He tried to ascertain what Mandalore was feeling guilty about, but since Mandalore was dreaming, Mical didn't have any luck deciphering most of what was going through Mandalore's head.

He diverted his attention to Mira. The young bounty hunter turned Jedi Sentinel was also practicing her use of the Force, although she wasn't trying to heal. She was trying to locate people. Mical listened deeper.

_If everyone is connected through the Force, then I should be able to find all the missing people out there. I just have to keep trying. If I practice enough, I can piece this scattered galaxy back together again._

Mical was happy to see that she was trying to do something so selfless. He knew Mira wasn't the hard-hearted woman she liked to show herself to be.

It was then Mical realized that most of the people on board the ship were not entirely who they portrayed themselves as. At first glance, people would describe Mira as a blunt woman without a lot of patience who was always looking to make some quick credits. But evidently she was caring and had a great respect for life. Mandalore was another who spoke abruptly and viewed pity and mercy as a weakness to be exploited. Yet he felt guilt over something to do with this Jagi.

Mical immediately became curious about Atton. Was he really a fool? Or was it all an act? If their battle on Korriban was any indication, it was the latter. But if Atton was indeed posturing, why?

He followed the currents of the Force to the pilot. He scraped the surface of Atton's thoughts, barely long enough to see Atton was worried about some unknown danger to Liara, when Mical was shut out. He frowned and tried again to no avail. It was as if a wall had been built around Atton's mind. Puzzled over this, Mical kept trying.

x x x x x

_That manipulative witch! _Atton thought when he felt someone trying to get into his head. _She already knows my deepest, darkest secret. What the hell is she trying to find out now?_

He put his mental blocks up, closing Kreia out. He felt her try again and again, but she was unable to get through. Atton felt some measure of satisfaction at seeing his hard work pay off.

Over the past week, while they were en route to Dantooine, Liara had managed to convince Atton to focus on his Force training some more. She felt that he would excel at anything that involved using the Force to affect people mentally. Atton had been skeptical at first, but Liara's prediction proved true. He had actually already been using Force Concealment and Precognition for years, although he didn't know it until recently. It was how he had been able to shield his presence to other Force users and predict when danger was approaching.

And though he was reluctant to learn it (he didn't think people had any right digging around in others' heads), she had him practice Force Listening on her. He was able to do it on his second try. The plus side to learning how to listen to others thoughts was that he learned how to completely close his thoughts off to another. Before, his only method of protection was counting the ticks in the power couplings, memorizing hyperspace routes, or even imagining himself in certain…lustful situations. It worked well since Jedi usually didn't delve any further than the surface thoughts, but once Kreia had wormed her way into his head, he had wanted to learn a better way of keeping others out.

Atton remembered back when Liara had admitted to him that she had read his thoughts with Kreia. He had been disappointed that she had done it, but not surprised. All Jedi did it whenever they felt like it. As if it was their right. He had never heard one apologize for doing it before, though. She promised not to dig into his head anymore and he in turn showed her how to play pazaak in her head, with him, if she was against a Jedi that was trying to use their Force Powers against her.

He felt Kreia try to get past his mental barrier again. He angrily got up out of his pilot's chair and stormed over to the port dormitory.

"Listen, you old scow, threats or no, you are going to stay out—" Atton stopped short when he saw Mical rather than Kreia. Mical looked back at him, startled.

Atton looked around the room. "Where's Kreia?" he asked.

"She went after Liara."

_It was definitely coming from this room, _Atton thought. _Which means…_

"_You _were the one trying to read my thoughts?" Atton demanded to know.

Mical stood, wondering why Atton was so angry. "Yes, I was. How did you know? No one else has been able to detect when I do it. How did you keep me out?"

Atton became even angrier at Mical's questions. _He doesn't even think he did anything wrong!_

He grabbed Mical by the front of his robes and leaned down, his nose nearly touching Mical's. "Listen, you fracking bastard," Atton said through gritted teeth. "You are going to stay out of my head. What I'm thinking is none of your business."

Atton relinquished his hold on Mical, almost throwing Mical to the ground. He turned and started to leave the room.

Mical straightened his robes. While his love for Liara had been changing from romantic to friendly, he still wanted her to be happy. And he sensed that a relationship with Atton would only bring her heartache.

At first, he had thought that his hunch was because he was still feeling a little jealous. But after much meditating, he realized that he really and truly did sense through the Force that Atton was going to hurt Liara. And it would happen sooner rather than later.

"I was only training myself to listen through the Force. Why are you so defensive? Is there something you are afraid for the others to know? Are you hiding something from Liara?"

"All right, that's it!" Atton nearly shouted. He stormed back over to Mical and swung his fist. Mical ducked it and threw his own punch. Atton stumbled back, more from surprise than anything else, and brought his hand up to his now bleeding nose. His anger grew even hotter as he launched himself at Mical, taking him down to the ground.

Atton had his hands around Mical's throat, using it as something to hold onto while he banged Mical's head onto the floor of the ship. He wasn't doing it so hard as to cause serious harm to Mical, but it was enough that it made Mical dizzy.

Suddenly, Atton paused. Mical's eyes were still out of focus as he willed the vertigo to pass. He looked at Atton. While he was grateful for the reprieve, he wondered why Atton had stopped. He looked as if he was hearing something far off, though Mical could hear nothing.

"Something's happening," Atton whispered to Mical.

"What? What is happening?"

"I don't know. I'm going to go to the cockpit. Blasters are a bad idea in such close confines, but I can get my lightsabers from there. You just prepare yourself."

Atton ran off while Mical slowly got to his feet. He tried to sense through the Force what danger Atton had detected, but he felt nothing.

_Atton must be wrong. False alarm, I suppose._

He looked up as Kreia walked into the room.

"Oh, Kreia, you startled me. Atton's been going on about something bad happening so I guess I'm a little jumpy."

Kreia outstretched her arm and waved it in a gentle arc. "Sleep, tiny Jedi."

Mical didn't even have time to register what she was doing when he feel to the floor in a deep slumber.

Kreia knelt beside him. "When you awake, you will remember who I am. My past will no longer be hidden from you."

She stood and masked her presence again. _Now for the fool._

x x x x x

Atton cursed under his breath as he checked the security cameras. Everyone, including Mical, was down. He didn't know if they were dead or simply unconscious, but he was the only one of the group left standing. And whoever had done the damage was not appearing on the cameras.

Atton rounded the corner to the cockpit. He was grabbing one of his lightsabers when he detected someone behind him. He turned quickly, but saw no one. He knew they were there, though.

_It must be a Sith, using one of those stealth field generators._

He swung his lightsaber in front of him. The cockpit did not have a lot of space and he knew he was right about someone being in the room with him. So he felt confident that his saber would make contact with someone. Or at least bring them out of hiding.

He was rewarded when Kreia materialized in front of him.

"Kreia?!? What the fu—"

He was cut off when she Force choked him. She had him in the air, his feet not even touching the ground.

"As much as I am loath to admit it, you are very strong in the Force. You are surprisingly capable, half Jedi. You are the only one who noticed my presence, something only a Jedi Master could have done," Kreia calmly confessed.

Atton glared at her, his hate flashing in his eyes. _I knew the schutta was bad news! I just never dreamed she would betray Liara. If I get even half the chance, she's dead! I will kill her slowly!_

Kreia chuckled softly. "If looks could kill…"

She brought her arm down quickly, which in turn slammed Atton into the floor. Using the Force, she lifted him in the air before again smashing him to the ground.

Atton laid there, pain exploding throughout his body. He could feel that his left arm was broken and that he had a few broken ribs. His nose was bleeding again, blood falling to the floor.

He grabbed hold of the pilot's chair with his good arm and pulled himself up, disregarding the screams his body was making in protest. Kreia watched, with amusement.

"What…have you done…to Liara?"

"You are actually concerned for someone besides yourself? I am surprised at you. Perhaps your feelings for her run deeper than merely using her to satisfy your animal lusts. But you are a slippery one, your thoughts difficult for even one such as I to read. I suspect the self-loathing that squirms within you gives you a curious strength. Your spirit, as diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face… and whatever wreckage you leave behind you. A result of that other part of you, half Sith.

"You can rest easy, Liara is safe. She will return to you when she awakens. Now sleep, you crude thing."

Atton slumped to the floor. He didn't fall right to sleep, as everyone else had. He managed to fight it off long enough to hear Kreia address someone.

"It is done. Take me to Atris. She will have the strength to do what the Council could not," Kreia commanded quietly.

Atton blacked out.

x x x x x

Liara finally came to. She got to her feet, still a little groggy. When she saw the three bodies of her former mentors, everything came flooding back to her.

_Kreia. How could you? I loved you. You were more than a mother to me…_

She went to check on the Jedi Masters. It was useless. They were dead, their bodies worse than lifeless. It was like looking into an absence of the Force. Liara backed away from the empty husks and retched into the grass.

Liara wanted to just lie down and die. After everything she had discovered from the Masters about herself, then Kreia's betrayal, and the horrible deaths of her old friends from the Council, it was almost too much. But she couldn't just give up. She had to save the Republic from the Sith Lords who sought to destroy it. She ran to check on her group in the Ebon Hawk.

Once she boarded the ship, she raced to the cockpit, hoping Atton would be alright. She arrived just as he was getting to his feet.

"You're…okay," he managed to say with relief.

Liara gasped at his injuries and quickly used the Force to heal most of the damage.

"What happened? Was it Kreia? Where is she?" she asked him as she helped him to his feet.

Atton groaned at the stiffness in his mended bones. "She's gone. The Handmaidens came for her. They know who she is now. They're taking her to Telos, and Atris will do what she'll do with anyone she thinks is a Sith."

"Kreia's a Sith?" Liara asked, surprised. She obviously knew now that Kreia had her own agenda, but a Sith?

Atton scoffed. "Are you surprised? All that talk of hatred, manipulation, and standing on your own two feet. Sorry, you don't get any more Sith than that. Still, if we were all judged by who we were in the past, I don't think you'd understand who we are now."

Liara almost flinched when Atton said that. It was unlike him, being empathetic, especially toward Kreia. Liara was reminded of what the Council had told her. How she herself manipulated people, however unconsciously done. She moved her mind off the topic and caught the end of what Atton was saying.

"—will execute her."

Liara was quiet for a second. "But Kreia and I are linked. If she dies—"

"Yeah, I know," Atton interrupted. He didn't want to think about what would happen to Liara if Atris succeeded in killing Kreia.

Liara took a deep breath. "The Sith are planning to attack Telos, everything will be decided there. While I check on everyone else, you get this ship headed that way."

Atton sighed. "That's what I was afraid you'd say. Look, Lee, how about we _not _go to Telos."

Liara furrowed her brows at him in confusion. "Not go to Telos? We have to. The whole planet will be destroyed _again _if we don't. Countless lives lost, _again_. Besides, where would we go? Would you have me simply drop you off at the next stop? Let everyone go their own way and pretend none of this ever happened?"

"No!" Atton said quickly. "That's not what I meant! I meant…maybe…you and I could…"

He ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration. _Frack, I am not ready for this conversation. _

Liara looked at him, successfully hiding the sadness she was feeling. "Atton, you've stuck around through all of this when you didn't have to. If you would like for me to leave you here or take you anywhere else, I will. You need only ask. But I myself cannot do anything until the galaxy is saved."

"Screw the galaxy!" he nearly shouted, grasping her by her upper arms. "Screw everyone else! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Atton, it was never my intention to put you in danger. But I couldn't do this alone. If you choose to leave, I'll understand."

Atton exhaled loudly as he released her, looking at the floor. S_he still thinks I'm only worried about myself. She doesn't see what she means to me. But of course she doesn't. Wasn't that my goal since we started? To keep her from knowing that I loved her? I obviously succeeded. Hell, even Kreia didn't realize my true feelings until today._

"I cannot abandon Telos," Liara told him firmly. "It would be like…Malachor all over again. I would be responsible for thousands of death. And I couldn't handle that a second time."

"Don't worry. I'll get us there as quick as I can," Atton said with a sigh.

x x x x x

After making sure everyone else was okay, Liara went to the Port Dormitory and sat on her bed. They had finally taken off. Now there was nothing for her to do but be alone with her thoughts.

Were the Masters right about her? Was she influencing her allies' actions? Was she…changing who they were? The thought disgusted her.

She heard someone enter the room. She looked up and saw Mical standing just inside the doorway.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "You look troubled, I can feel it."

Liara gave a sardonic laugh. "I don't doubt it."

Mical walked over to her, stopping right in front of her. "That is an odd answer. What do you mean by it?"

Liara said nothing for a moment. "Do you ever…wonder why you're with me? Why you are putting yourself in mortal peril?"

"Never. I believe in what we are doing, what you are doing. I am here because I choose to be here."

_He answers with no hesitation. Just as Master Vrook had said. _

"How do you know the Force isn't just controlling all of this? Making you follow me?" _That I'm controlling you._

Mical sat next to her. "I simply do. There is nothing I can show you as proof, except give you my word. But you are asking for a reason. What happened in the Enclave?"

Liara looked away from him, ashamed. "I learned that I form connections through the Force. And that these bonds are the reason others follow me to their death."

"Then they did not understand you. That is the danger of being a Jedi. When one separates themselves from others, chooses to lead a life of isolation, denying what makes them a feeling being, it is easy to make such judgments. And such judgments, I believe, are made in ignorance. There is no danger in what you represent, other than your humanity.

"You change others, but I do not believe it due to the Force. I believe it is because you are a natural leader and because you feel connected to the people around you. Where they looked at you and saw the death of the Force, I look at you and see hope for all life. And that perhaps a life lived without the Force is not the punishment it is believed to be. I will understand if you feel you must go on alone, but I ask that you do not. Instead, take strength from your connections to others. Do not forsake them, as you did in exile."

Mical stood and left her to her thoughts. He hadn't convinced her that the Force wasn't at work here. Of course he was going to say those things. She was making him feel the way he did.

Almost right after Mical left the room, Atton walked in. Liara had never been so glad to see him in her life. If there was ever a time that she needed him, it was now.

She stood and went to him, intending to simply hug him and have him hold her. He held his hand out, stopping her from coming any closer.

Liara looked at him, nonplussed. Then she noticed that he was feeling hurt. And angry. Very angry.

"Atton, wh—"

"So, you've been controlling me this whole time?" He stepped toward her, his fists clenched.

Liara took a step back. "You…you heard what I said?"

"I heard enough. You know, I knew something was going on. I knew I was changing, but I wasn't sure why. But it was you, this whole time." He took another step. She backed up again. "All those times when I normally would react one way, I've been reacting another. When I had the chance to take care of Mical, I didn't. I told you about my past when I had never spoken of it to anyone."

_Take care of Mical? What is he talking about? _"Atton, please. I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"As you said before, you couldn't do this mission alone. So you just took it upon yourself to make everyone want to help you." She backed into the wall behind her as he continued to slowly walk toward her. "You made me…care for you."

_You made me love you._

Liara shook her head, as a tear fell from her face.

"Why did you do it? Did you want to see just how far this control thing of yours went? If you could make someone like me be your puppet? Or maybe that's not it. Maybe you were afraid of becoming some dried up old shrew so you used me to pop your cherry."

Liara instantly went from despair and alarm to incensed. _How dare he? After all those seduction attempts he made, he's blaming me for finally succumbing to them?_

She slapped him across the face, her chest heaving in her anger. She stood there, back still against the wall, her own fists clenched, as she glared at him.

Atton looked down at her, his outrage nearly dissipated now. He was sorry he had said that last part and he didn't blame her for slapping him. Force or not, he loved her. And, Force or not, he felt misled.

He reached for her, unsure if he wanted to hug her or shake her.

She shrugged him off. "Don't you touch me. Get out."

They continued to look at each other, her, beautiful in her passion, and he, feeling nearly overwhelmed with emotions.

He tried to touch her again. She moved out of the way, slapping his hands away.

"I said leave! Get out, Atton, or I will force you out."

Liara felt like her heart was breaking, but she managed to keep from showing it on the outside.

Atton gulped and turned away from her. He started to leave, stopping at the doorway. He looked back at her, and for the first time, he tried to read her thoughts without her permission.

He succeeded. He smiled sadly at what she was thinking.

She was playing pazaak in her head.

Without him.

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_A/N: Ok, I have several things to mention here… _

_First thing, a lot of the dialogue in this chapter is from the game...yada yada yada...belongs to LucasArts and Obsidian...blah blah blah._

_Next, I know the Jedi Mantra in the game is "There is no emotion, there is peace." The way I stated it in here is actually the original, and to me, it makes more sense. So I used it here._

_Also, I want to apologize ahead of time to everyone. My chapters are PROBABLY_ _going to be few and far between for awhile. Blame BioWare and their newest little gem, Dragon Age: Origins. I'm sorry, but I am already VERY addicted to this game so much of my free time is spent playing it. If you haven't played it yet, do so. If you liked Jade Empire, Mass Effect, or KotOR (and you obviously liked at least ONE of these titles ;P) then you will love Dragon Age. The graphics aren't quite as good as Mass Effect's, but the voice acting and dialogue MORE than make up for it._

_And just a personal note, I am now having a video game affair with Alistair from this game. Hooray for me! Now I have my bad boy with Atton and my cutie boy-next-door with Alistair. Woot!_

_And now for the best part, my thanks to everyone who left me a review. There's a lot this time, woot, again!_

_**Konveezy**__, welcome to my uncensored chapters. I hope they don't disappoint. And thanks so much for your help with the part I was stuck at, this chapter would have taken even longer without your help._

_**Sithmouse**__ and __**Ujemaima**__, my loyal little reviewers, I'm glad you are enjoying my fluff and the bit with the droids. Hearing that I nearly made you wet yourself (*cough*, Uje) was my goal when I wrote it._

_To__** Akimi Butterfly**__, thank you for reading and reviewing. I think T3 is more astute than the other droids give him credit for ;P _

_**Vayluh Arwen**__, I just got done laughing out loud at my computer screen, as well, at your comment. We'll be crazy together! Thanks for the R&R!_

_Thank you to__** Vshard**__, I'm glad you liked the droids and how I'm doing with the romance. I agree, usually the cheesier something is, the better it's suited to Mical. Your comment is much appreciated!_

_**Talravin**__, I agree wholeheartedly that Sion is underused. I know I haven't explored his character too much here, but I hope the little bits I have done do him justice. I've always been intrigued by his character. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave me a comment!_

_**Resident Roach Code Metallica, **__wow, that's a mouthful, welcome to my little slice of fan fiction paradise. I'm always glad to see new readers. And leaving your review made it all the better!_


	14. Chapter 14

Atton took the Ebon Hawk out of hyperspace as they neared Telos. He maneuvered the ship around to head towards the polar ice cap that housed Atris and her 'Jedi Academy.' He was a skilled enough pilot that he was able to fly the ship without even thinking about it. Piloting was second nature to him. Which was a definite good thing since his mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't concentrate on anything even if he tried.

The past two and a half weeks had been the longest of Atton's life. Since his spat with Liara over her influencing his actions, they hadn't spoken to each other. He wouldn't have thought that total silence would have been possible between two people who were in such close confines for nearly three weeks, but they had somehow found a way.

When he had first left her in that room, he had felt like the biggest jerk in the galaxy. And while this wasn't the first time he had felt that way, it was the first time he felt bad about it.

Then the anger would return. He had never suffered remorse over acting like a prick before. He supposed this was more of Liara's influencing.

And after some time was spent fuming, he would remember the look on her face when he turned on her. Her crying, actually _crying_, because of him. The images would bring with it shame at his words and actions.

This cycle repeated itself countless times over the weeks. It was enough to drive a man insane.

Frankly, he was grateful they would be landing on Telos soon. Sure they were going to be going up against a number of people who wanted to kill them and possibly even a Sith Lord. But at the moment, it would be a welcome distraction.

Atton just wished he knew if what he felt for Liara was real. Did he really love her? Or did she just force those feelings upon him? He didn't think Liara was the type to 'enslave' people to suit her whims. But then again, he was a prime example of how you could know someone for a long time and still not know the real them.

He wished he had stayed in the cockpit that day. If he had, he never would have overheard her and Mical. He would still be blissfully ignorant of everything.

But _no_. He had gotten it in his fool head that he was going to tell her that he loved her. That he wanted to remain with her for the rest of their lives. At her side as they battled the galaxy. In front of her when she needed his protection. Or behind her when she needed his support. He wanted to just…be there…for her and know she was there for him.

So he had gone seeking her out and stumbled upon her confessing to Mical what the Jedi Masters had told her. He still wasn't sure if his timing in that instance was good or bad.

Since then, he had avoided her. And everyone else, really, until he could sort out the tangle of thoughts occupying his mind. It hadn't been too difficult to stay away from her as it seemed she was trying to stay away from him, as well.

Of course, total avoidance was impossible on their little ship. On the occasion they would run into each other, he would be nearly overwhelmed with the urge to say something, anything, to her.

But on her face…there was nothing. Not anger, not sadness nor longing. Just…nothing. And that hurt Atton worse than anything else.

Every time he saw that blankness on her face, it would make him even angrier with himself. Here he was, tormenting himself over her, losing sleep and appetite over her, drinking more over her, while she went about her day like it didn't bother her one bit that they weren't speaking, amongst other things.

Atton brought the Ebon Hawk down and was able to land it without being shot out of the sky like they were the last time they came to this part of Telos.

He decided to stay in the cockpit until Liara and the others were done with Atris. He knew she wouldn't ask him to accompany her, so he would just stay out of her way for now.

He sat back in his pilot's chair, propping his feet up on the ship's console and clasped his hands behind his head. He exhaled loudly as he waited.

x x x x x

After about an hour, Atton left for the main hold to get a drink. He had downed the last of the hard stuff last night, so he knew there wouldn't be anything stronger onboard than caffa.

He was surprised to see everyone in the hold except for Liara, Mandalore, and HK. He walked over to the caffa dispenser and got himself a cup.

"So Liara only took Mandalore and HK with her, huh?" he asked no one in particular. He thought it was a little foolhardy not to have taken someone with Jedi training. She was going to be going up against Atris and several handmaidens, and maybe even Kreia, but if she only wanted to take Mandalore and the assassin droid with her, well, he supposed she had her reasons.

"No, she did not take either of them," Mical answered him.

Atton frowned at Mical. "They're the only ones missing. Who else could she have taken?" He took a drink of the steaming caffa.

"She did not take anyone. Mandalore is in the dorm speaking to Kelborn and HK is modifying his rifle in the garage."

"What?!" Atton nearly choked on the hot liquid going down his throat and accidently dumped the remainder of the beverage down the front of him. He let loose a string of curses as the scalding drink came in contact with his skin. He began shedding his jacket and shirts as he glared at the group. "You let her go by herself?"

"She insisted," Mira explained as she stared, unable to help herself as she admired Atton's bare chest. Atton may be an idiot, but he was an idiot with a _very _nice upper body. "She said since she was forcing us to stay here with her, the least she could do was not put us into any more danger. Whatever that means."

_Whatever that means? _Atton thought. _So Liara didn't tell anyone else about what the Jedi Masters had told her. But why would she? When I reacted the way I did to the news. Now she's gone off and done something rash because of her frackin' pride and my carelessness._

"Who cares if she insisted? She may be our 'fearless leader' but that doesn't mean you just bend over and take it when she decides to do something stupid!"

"If you're so concerned, why didn't you go with her?" Mira asked, crossing her arms and glowering at Atton.

_Because I'm a selfish idiot._

"I would have if I knew she was planning on diving into this mess alone." Atton finished cleaning off his jacket and went back to the cockpit, tossing his wet shirts in the corner. He grabbed his blasters and lightsabers then proceeded to the dorm to get a fresh shirt. After pulling on the clean shirt and donning his jacket once more, he headed to the ship's exit ramp.

While he waited for the ramp to lower, Bao-Dur and Mical came up to him.

"We assume you're going after the General," Bao-Dur stated.

"Yeah, and? You going to stop me since she said she wanted to go alone?"

Mical shook his head. "No, actually. We are coming with you. Before you came in on us in the hold, Bao-Dur and I were already discussing going after her."

"Fine, but I'm leaving now. If you're not ready, you can stay behind."

Mical clipped his lightsaber to his belt and nodded, indicating he was indeed ready.

"All I need are my fists," Bao-Dur said. Bao-Dur had been trained as a Jedi Guardian by Liara, but he still preferred his hands as weapons over his blue lightsaber. However, he did carry it with him at all times as it was handy to deflect blaster fire. But it was primarily a defense tool in Bao-Dur's case.

"Let's go then," Atton said as he stepped onto the snow that blanketed Telos's surface.

The three of them trekked through the snow for awhile before Atton broke the silence.

"So…Bao-Dur. How is it you're here when Liara asked you to stay behind?"

Bao-Dur kept his eyes on the horizon as he answered. "I'm as worried about her as you are. I would have insisted on going with her, but if she really wanted to keep me from that, she could have. So I opted to wait and then go after her if she wasn't back in a reasonable amount of time."

"Yeah, yeah," Atton said, brushing Bao-Dur's explanation aside. "What I meant was, didn't you feel some…compulsion to stay? You know, since she wanted you to stay?"

Bao-Dur glanced sideways at Atton as he continued walking. "You ask me this because you actually believe she is controlling us."

"So you _do _know then."

"Of course I do. She came to me the day after we left Dantooine and told me she was relieving me of my duties. That once we landed on Telos I could go back to helping the planet with its restoration. Then she apologized for forcing me to leave Telos in the first place. It took some doing, but I managed to get her to tell me what she was going on about. What the Jedi Masters had told her. It's foolishness, of course, though she disagreed."

Atton turned around so he was walking backwards as he looked Bao-Dur in the eye. "And you aren't angry?"

Bao-Dur furrowed his brow at Atton. "So you were angry then."

"Are you going to keep responding to my questions with statements about my feelings, which I'm already perfectly aware of, by the way, or are you going to answer them?"

Bao-Dur sighed. "No. I wasn't angry. I know she isn't influencing our actions."

Atton stopped walking forcing Bao-Dur to stop as well. Mical came to a halt a little ahead of them. "How do you know?" Atton asked. "How can you be so sure?"

"Have you so little faith in your own willpower that you think someone can inadvertently control your actions without you even being aware?"

"Well, I am a weak, weak man."

"No, you are not," Bao-Dur told him firmly. "It may make it easier for you to deal with your past actions if you believe they were done because you are weak-willed, but that does not make it so."

Atton didn't argue with him. It had been a long time since he had known who he was, if he had ever known, but he had never been more unsure than he was now.

Atton shook it off. "But what about what the Jedi Masters said? Why would they say that if it wasn't true?"

"You of all people should know of the infallibility of the Jedi. I'm sure they believed they were right about the General, but that doesn't mean they were. She inspires others, but that's the extent of her hold on people."

"But it's not!" Atton replied, getting angry. Mical may trust that his mind was his own without question, but Atton couldn't believe Bao-Dur did. "There's more to her hold on me than 'inspiration!' I…I'm not me!"

Bao-Dur smiled, then chuckled. Atton narrowed his eyes at Bao-Dur. "Why are you laughing? I'm being serious!"

"He's laughing at you because you are even more of a fool than we believed," Mical told him, his tone frustrated.

"I don't believe I asked you anything, kid. The grownups are talking right now. Why don't you keep standing over there being useless and _quiet_."

The blonde Jedi ignored him. "You have this wonderful woman that adores you, though _why _still baffles even the most brilliant of minds, yet you cast her aside like she is…_nothing_. Like she is a…a…paid companion who is good for nothing but satisfying your needs," Mical forced the words out. He did not enjoy likening Liara to prostitutes, but that was exactly what he thought Atton was treating her like. "You use her physically then abandon her as soon as she needs something more from you besides…intercourse."

Atton had put his back to Mical, clenching his teeth as he listened to him. As soon as he heard Mical tell him he was using Liara like he would some common cantina rat, he turned and started toward him, his hands in fists. But Mical had already turned away, arms crossed. Bao-Dur grabbed Atton's arm, stopping him from launching himself at Mical.

Bao-Dur gave Atton a sympathetic look. "He's right, you know." Atton turned his anger to Bao-Dur, who quickly clarified what he meant. "About you behaving foolishly. You say you are changing. I would imagine that is so as I've seen you react differently to things than you would have when we first met. And the reason _is_ due to Liara, though not in the way you think."

Atton only looked at him waiting for him to explain.

"The General is strong, yet with you, she shows her vulnerability. Showing her emotions, her weaknesses, as she sees it, is unlike her. But she does it whenever it comes to you."

Atton furrowed his brow as he thought about what Bao-Dur was saying. He wasn't sure he understood.

Bao-Dur continued. "She has 'changed' as well, and for the same reason you have."

"And? _And_? What reason is it?"

"The simplest way I can put it is that people change for the ones they love."

Atton blinked a few times as what Bao-Dur had said sunk in. Was he so obvious with his feelings that the others could tell what he was feeling? And Liara, she couldn't possibly love him. Could she?

Bao-Dur laughed quietly again at Atton's expression.

Mical turned his head slightly when he heard Bao-Dur say Atton loved Liara. Mical was feeling angry because, while he didn't know details, he knew something had happened between her and Atton. And though he had foreseen Atton hurting Liara, he somehow knew this wasn't the event that he had predicted. Which meant that they were going to reconcile, then Atton was going to break her heart again, worse than he had just done. Mical felt helpless to stop it. But he never imagined that Atton felt so strongly for Liara. Surely Bao-Dur was wrong…

"How do you know this?" Atton asked quietly.

"Know what? The reasons you are becoming a better man? Why she is letting her true self show with you? That you love her? That she loves you?"

"A-All of it."

Mical stiffened. _He is not denying it. So does he love her? Truly? Every time I think I have him figured out, he goes and does something else to completely shatter my old image of him._

"I know enough about love to know that it can make any man strive to be worthy of it, whether consciously done or not. As for her, I've seen her show her softer side with you when she thinks no one but you can see. I know you love her, not because you show it, indeed, you do not show it at all. But…let's just say you and I are alike in many ways and I recognize it. And the General is too innocent in all things romantic to know how to hide her adoration of you."

For once, Atton was speechless. He didn't know what to think. Of all the ways he thought this conversation would go, finding out that Liara loved him was not one of them. There was always the possibility that Bao-Dur was wrong, of course, but he had known Liara for years. If he felt that she loved him, maybe there was something to it.

"But enough talk," Bao-Dur said quickly. "We came to help the General, not stand around and gossip. Let's go."

They made it to the compound that housed Atris and her handmaidens. Atton opened the door and started to walk inside. He bumped into Liara as she was walking out of the building, instinctively grabbing her shoulders to steady her when she stumbled back.

Liara shrugged him off her and glanced at the group. Atton opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He was unsure of what to say. He closed his mouth again before she could think of him as a slack-jawed idiot.

"What are you guys doing here? I asked to be allowed to do this alone," she asked Bao-Dur.

"You were gone a while. We wanted to make sure you were alright."

Her eyes flickered over to Atton for a second before returning to Bao-Dur. "Afraid I was enslaving others to do my bidding? Or forcing poor, unsuspecting men into my bed?"

Atton flinched. _Ouch. I deserved that._

Mical blushed, horrified at what she was saying. He wondered what would make Liara say such a thing.

Bao-Dur frowned. He spared a glance at Atton, letting him know that he knew exactly where Liara would get such an idea. "I don't think you'd have to mind control someone to get them to accompany you to your quarters. Anyway, you're here now, relatively unharmed it seems. Are you all right?"

Liara sighed. "I'm sorry Bao-Dur. I shouldn't have said that. I apologize. And yes, I'm fine. Kreia has gone onto Malachor V." Bao-Dur closed his eyes and muttered something inaudible under his breath. "She expects us to meet her there or she will throw herself into one of Malachor's numerous pits, effectively killing herself and me. Atris had fallen to the dark side and attacked me, but I was able to defeat her. She still lives, though, and I have given her the chance to redeem herself. So she will remain here and help with the Telos restoration once she has recovered from our battle."

She walked past the men, heading for the Ebon Hawk. She continued speaking as they followed her. "Before we can go to Malachor, however, we need to take down Darth Nihilus. He is nearing the Citadel and will be attacking any moment. He must be stopped."

They made it to the ship in silence. Once aboard, Liara gave a quick retelling of what happened with her and Atris. She then told everyone of her plan to aid the Citadel in defending against the Sith. She made a pointed glance at Atton who took the hint and left for the cockpit to fly them over to the Telos station.

The ship was airborne when Atton heard someone enter the cockpit. He turned, hoping to see Liara but instead saw Mical.

Atton rolled his eyes and turned back to the front. "You're in the wrong room."

Atton heard Mical shut the door to the cockpit. He turned again, eyeing Mical suspiciously.

"I wanted to apologize to you about before," Mical said quietly.

Atton continued flying the ship. _This ought to be good. "_I'm listening."

Mical cleared his throat. "Yes, well. I apologize for trying to read your thoughts a few weeks ago. I have thought about it and I understand why you were so upset."

Atton scoffed. "Do you, now?"

"Yes. I know I would not want someone entering my head while I am…preoccupied…with Visas for instance. I should not have accused you of keeping things from Liara. Even if you are, it is not my place to force those things out of you."

Atton smirked at Mical's mention of Visas. He still found it amusing that Mical and Visas were together, but if it meant Mical would back off of Liara then he couldn't be happier about it. Not that it mattered, circumstances being what they were at the moment…

"Damn right it's not," Atton replied. "Now, if there's nothing else…"

"You really do love her?" Mical asked.

Atton froze. Then he went back to steering the Ebon Hawk. "I have many times, in fact."

It took Mical a moment to realize what Atton was saying. He blushed. "T-That's not what I…what I meant!" he stammered.

Atton shrugged. "If you're asking if I _love _her, love her, I don't see how that's any of your business."

Mical exhaled loudly in frustration. Was there ever a more infuriating man than the one before him? "Oh, I see. _That_ is not any of my business, but the fact that you and Liara are intimate is? So much so that you feel the need to tell me about it every chance you get?"

Atton gave a sarcastic laugh. "First of all, it's sex. Okay? Not 'intercourse.' Not 'being intimate.' Sex. And secondly, no, that's not your business, either. But the expression on your face every time I mention it makes it well worth it."

Mical closed his eyes and chanted the Jedi Mantra to himself twice. "I only wanted to tell you that what Bao-Dur told you was true. People do change for the ones they love." Mical thought of Visas. "If you really do love her like Bao-Dur seems to think you do, and are becoming better because of her, what is wrong with that? Why do you fight it so?"

Before Atton could say anything smart, Mical continued. "I know you are not going to answer that. I just want you to think about it. And if you do not feel for her in that way, then you need to leave her be. Bao-Dur was right about her feelings for you. Even one as inexperienced in this area as I am can see it. If you do not love her, do something selfless for once, and let her go."

Atton pretended to ignore Mical and Mical eventually left. But Atton had heard everything Mical had said.

He did love Liara. He didn't doubt that. But he still wasn't convinced that she wasn't controlling him in some way. And even if she wasn't, there was no way she loved him back. It may be cliché, but she deserved better than him, surely she knew that. She knew about his past. That alone meant she could never feel anything for him beyond 'like'. To think otherwise was, well, foolish.

But, as he was told so often, he was a fool. And he couldn't help but imagine how it would be if Liara _did _feel the same way about him. He thought about it the rest of the way to the Citadel station.

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_A/N: I apologize for how long this chapter took. I did warn ya'll that I was obsessed with Dragon Age. I have even already written a oneshot to go with it, if anyone's interested. Just check out my profile for it. I was also in Vegas for a week so no writing of any kind got done._

_Now for my thanks:_

_**Sithmouse**__, thanks, once again for taking the time to read and review. I always enjoy reading your comments. Yes, Atton is a bastard. I wish he would just tell her how he feels, too ;P And yes, Dragon Age does indeed = awesomeness!_

_Thanks to __**Talravin**__ for your comment. I'm glad you like the bits I do for Sion, I enjoy writing them. I hope to do a few more before we encounter him, we'll see. And I prefer the Jedi Mantra that way as well, I'm glad we are on the same page!_

_**Resident RC Metallica**__, you made me smile with your comment! I am so excited that you think my whole story is well written! It means a lot!_

_To __**Vayluh Arwen**__, no screwing Dragon Age, lol! It is a great game! But no, I don't want your death on my conscience. So I hope I posted this in enough time to save your life. If not, then I dedicate this chapter to your memory :D_

_**Ujemaima**__, don't worry about McDonald's suing you. I managed to convince them not to! As always, I love hearing from you on my chapters! Ch. 13 was your favorite, huh? I'm glad! Thanks for the wonderful review!_

_And lastly but surely not leastly, __**Akimi Butterfly**__. Yes, the last chapter was sad, and yes, I am to blame for that one. I am such a bitch. ;P And I like that I made you laugh so hard in the last chapter that you almost fell out of your chair. I meant to do that. Unless you broke a bone or something. Then I claim no responsibility. You're on your own there. And you are perfectly welcome about including you in my thanks! I should be thanking you for taking the time to read my story and then taking even more time to leave a review! I will keep the chapters coming if you keep the comments coming! Deal?_


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't know that this is a good idea, Visas," Mical said.

"I know this is something I must do. I have to face him."

From the moment they had landed at Citadel Station, they had been battling Sith and mercenaries, trying to help Lieutenant Grenn hold the line. They had all fought tirelessly through an endless wave of enemies to get to the shuttle bay elevators, which was where they would board the Ravager and face Darth Nihilus. Once they had gotten there and secured the area, Visas had asked Liara if she could accompany her and Mandalore when they went aboard. Liara asked her once if she was sure she wanted to go and when Visas said she did, nodded her assent. Mical had been voicing his objections since.

Mical tried to keep his emotions calm. "You cannot know that for certain. He is powerful, what if something…" His voice trailed off as he heard the desperation echo in his words. He loved this woman, and every day he fell in love with her a little more. He knew that as a Jedi, he should be looking at the situation from a broader angle, advocating for which ever option served the greater good now and for the future. But all he could see was Visas getting cut down by her former master. It was very hard to remain objective at the moment.

Visas finished healing a slash wound on her arm that she had gotten on their way through the fighting as she answered him. "How can I be a true Jedi, how can I say I have redeemed myself, if I am too afraid to face that which made me fall in the first place? I was not always so cynical, you know. Until that day on Katarr, when Nihilus took me for his apprentice, I was carefree and always laughing, even a little naive." Her voice grew wistful as she remembered the girl she used to be. "If I want any hope of bringing that girl to the surface again, I must do this. I must be done with him. This is the only way."

Mical hung his head at her words. He knew she was right. He felt her hands touch his face, "I can do this, Mical. I know I can."

His hands went to hers. He sighed. "I know Visas. I know you can. I do not doubt that. Just…be careful."

x x x x x

Atton watched as Liara readied herself for the coming battle. Mandalore and Visas were the only ones going with her. Everyone else, himself included, was to keep vigil here, taking down any more Sith that tried to enter the station.

_Go talk to her! Tell her you love her, tell her you're sorry, just tell her something before she leaves! If something happens to her…this may be your last chance._

Atton decided to take his own advice and made his way over to her.

"Atton, I'm glad you came over. I wanted to say something to you," Liara said while she finished packing a few medpacs. She always liked to have a few on hand in case she became too drained to use the Force to heal someone.

"Uh, ok. You first, then." _Good, maybe this'll give me a chance to figure out what I'm going to say. I just hope she isn't going to go off on me again. Not that she doesn't have every right, too. It would just put a damper on what could be our last moments together._

She closed her pack then looked up at him. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for slapping you."

Atton's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well," she clarified. "Not for the slapping so much as getting angry with you in the first place. You kind of did deserve to be socked in the face for saying what you did. Actually, you're lucky all I did was slap you. I almost gave you a swift kick in your… well, anyway, you were perfectly justified in being angry. I was horrified when the Jedi Masters told me their suspicions of what I am and what I do to people. So I can hardly fault you for being upset over the news as well. I would be, too, if I found out that someone was controlling me."

He just stood there, looking at her. He was still unsure of what to say.

She faltered a bit under his silent stare. "I guess I just wanted you to know that, in case…"

Atton snapped out of his daze. "Wait. Hold on. You're going to be fine. So don't talk like that, ok? It makes me…just…don't talk like that."

"Alright."

"And I was coming over here to apologize to _you_. For everything, not just the 'pop your cherry' remark. I had told you that I left the Sith after I killed that Jedi woman. But another reason I left was because I was afraid Revan and her troops were going to come for me and make me into some mindless Dark Jedi. I was afraid of not being in control of myself anymore. So I ran, like I always do when things get tough. I just got angry when I overheard you and Mical. All I could think was that I escaped enslavement once just to become enslaved by someone else."

Liara looked down sadly. "Atton, I had no idea. I am even sorrier, now. And I don't mean to control you. I don't know how I do it. I never even had a clue that I was capable of this until the Masters told me. I understand if you wish to leave and forget all about…everything. But I ask you to please stay until Telos is saved. These people need your help."

_No, _he thought. _They need you. Just like the rest of us do. Like I do._

"I doubt anyone needs anything from someone like me, but I'll do it," he told her.

She smiled in relief. "Thank you. And once this is done, we can speak more, assuming you haven't decided to leave by the time I get back."

_I'm not going anywhere. _"Sure, I'll see you when you get back."

She nodded at Mandalore and Visas. They boarded the Ravager then, disappearing through the smoke and fire.

Atton hurried over to Bao-Dur. "Bao, I'll be back. I need to take care of something. Watch over things here, ok?"

Bao-Dur nodded. He knew where Atton was going. "Sure, just watch your back."

He scoffed. "No one knows how to watch their back better than I do."

Atton activated his stealth field generator. Then he made sure he had his dagger with him. He rarely used it anymore since he didn't sneak up on anyone with the intent to kill them like he used to. But now would be a good time to have it handy. After all, what good did it do him to be invisible if he was going to be using loud blasters or bright lightsabers?

_Now to make sure she makes it out of there in one piece._

He followed after her. While she was far enough ahead that he couldn't see her, it was easy enough to tell which way she went by the trail of bodies.

He was starting to think he had somehow missed her when he finally came across her talking with none other than Colonel Tobin. Atton recognized him from his holo-image when Tobin first spoke with them, telling them they weren't welcome in Onderon space then proceeded to have his ships fire on them.

The few months since they had seen him last had not been kind to Tobin. His skin had turned gray and almost leathery looking. His eyes had become yellowed and his hair had streaks of gray running through it.

_Use that lightsaber of yours, Lee! _Atton thought, becoming angry at the sight of the man who had attempted to kill them several times. _Run the bastard through!_

Atton resisted the urge to do it himself and kept back, not wanting her to know he was there. He listened in on what they were saying.

"…ould you have me do?" Tobin asked Liara.

"I need someone to set off the proton cores on this vessel when we give the signal."

_Sonofabitch, Liara! Now is not the time for this Jedi redemption crap!_

Mandalore shook his head. "Go and report to the target site…_Colonel_," he sneered. "I'll let my men know you're coming. If you try anything stupid they'll shoot you dead."

Tobin begrudgingly nodded. "I'll do as you ask. For Onderon's sake." He walked out of the room, almost brushing against Atton as he did.

Liara, Visas, and Mandalore followed him out and turned down the hall, heading in the opposite direction as Tobin.

Atton heard Mandalore telling Liara to stop wasting her time on the weak. He didn't hear what she said in response as he had turned and hurried to catch up to Tobin. Liara may trust Tobin to help them take Nihilus down, but Atton wasn't about to take that chance. He'd take care of the Tobin himself. What Lee didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

He walked directly behind Tobin for a moment, still moving silently enough that Tobin had yet to know he was there. Tobin rounded a corner in the hall. Atton quietly removed his dagger and allowed Tobin to take a few more steps before making his move.

He swiftly wrapped an arm around Tobin's neck, applying enough pressure that Tobin struggled to breathe. Atton's stealth field disabled in the process. He put the flat edge of his blade hard onto Tobin's cheek directly under his eye. A little blood dripped down Tobin's face from where the tip of Atton's blade had pierced his skin. He heard Tobin try to speak but he was unable to do so. Tobin grabbed at Atton's arm, trying to free himself.

Atton applied more pressure to Tobin's face with his blade, drawing even more blood, but still not in any danger of killing him. He told himself to hurry up and kill Tobin. Just a few quick slashes in a few choice spots and that would be the end of the famed Colonel Tobin. But it somehow wasn't as easy as it was in the past. His initial reaction was to blame this hesitation on Liara and her influencing. But he somehow knew it wasn't true. Perhaps Bao-Dur was right, and he was changing _for_ Liara, not _because_ of her.

Still, he wanted nothing more than to ram his dagger into Tobin's skull at the moment. Atton squeezed his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths. He could feel Tobin's struggles becoming weaker from lack of oxygen.

He loosened his hold on Tobin's neck but still kept his arm around him, letting the man breathe and speak freely, though Tobin was too busy gasping for air to talk at the moment.

"Listen close, Colonel," Atton whispered harshly. "I am _very _tempted to end you right now. Liara may have faith that you will not turn on her, but your word means less than nothing to me. So I'm warning you now that I am watching you. If you try to warn your master or anyone else, I will see you dead."

Tobin finally managed to regain his breath. "Do your worst, _assassin_," He said the last word like it was something foul. "Your friends will fall to Nihilus and whatever death you have drummed up will pale in comparison to what he'll do with me. Do it. Kill me."

Atton gave a sinister chuckle. "You are wrong. Liara _will _take out Nihilus. There is no doubt about that."

Actually, there was doubt about that, but if he wanted Tobin to stay on their side, Tobin had to believe Liara would succeed. The man would hardly back someone he knew was going to lose, after all.

"As for you, I have no intention of killing you. I would, however, break a few of your ribs, remove a few fingers, cut on your face for awhile," Atton waved his dagger in front of Tobin's face for emphasis, Tobin's blood slowly running down the blade. "Then, just for fun, I'll kick you a few times while you're down."

"Torture?" Tobin gave a short laugh. "I'll not believe your lies. I doubt anyone traveling with a Jedi would do such a thing."

"She keeps strange company. She is the last of the Jedi, so she takes her help where she can get it. Among her allies are a Mandalorian, a bounty hunter, and Nihilus's old apprentice. I myself, used to be a Sith. And I specialized in breaking people. It was so easy. All you had to know was what made them tick. Their reason for being. And you, Colonel Tobin," he tapped the blade of his dagger on top of Tobin's head. "Have proven just as easy as my old targets were. Your weakness is your precious Onderon."

Atton was rewarded when he felt Tobin stiffen. He continued, "So I think that after I've mangled you, I will make sure that the people of Onderon know all about how the brave Colonel Tobin almost turned them over to a Sith Lord. Then I will drop your broken-but-still-very-alive body right in the middle of the merchant quarter, and let the people of Iziz deal with you as they see fit."

As Atton thought, that got Tobin's attention. Say what you want about the Colonel, but he was a patriot through and through and the idea of his people remembering him in such a negative light was more than he could bear.

Tobin tore free of Atton's hold and turned to him, facing him for the first time. Atton pulled one of his blasters and trained it on the Colonel.

Tobin glared at Atton. "I told the Jedi woman I would assist her, and I do not go back on my word."

"Just remember what I told you and you'll be fine. Now get moving."

Tobin straightened himself then turned to continue toward Mandalore's men. Atton contemplated shooting him in the back, but refrained and simply watched him until he rounded a corner. He reactivated his stealth field generator then hurried back the way he came to try and catch up to Liara. He concentrated on her, trying to get a sense of where she was.

He swore under his breath when he realized she was already in battle with the Sith Lord. Atton ran, following the flow he was feeling from her through the Force.

_Let me make it in time…_

x x x x x

Visas fell to all fours, gasping for breath. "We cannot…beat him. He's…too strong."

Liara lifted her silver lightsaber up in time to block a downward swing from Nihilus. He continued to push, forcing her back. "Visas! Stay with me! We can do this!"

Visas shook her head. "No. I was…a fool to think…we could beat him."

Mandalore, having learned long ago that using blasters against a force-user was hazardous to one's health, was using a vibrosword against Darth Nihilus. He swung his blade at Nihilus's mid-section. Nihilus leapt back out of the way before running forward once more, attacking Liara with his red lightsaber. Mandalore was astounded again at how quick the Sith Lord moved. It was almost unreal.

Then he saw a Sith soldier enter the bridge. The Sith pulled a blaster pistol and aimed it at Visas.

"Look out, girl!" Mandalore shouted to Visas. She ignored him, but Nihilus, on the other hand, did not.

Nihilus pushed Liara back. She stumbled, trying to catch her breath. He sent a force wave at Mandalore, knocking him into the wall behind him. Nihilus then used the Force to knock the weapon from the Sith soldier's grasp. The soldier barely had time to register his surprise when Nihilus lifted the soldier into the air, force-choking him. Nihilus's squeezed his hand into a tight fist. The soldier's eyes bulged out as the unseen force clutching his neck wrapped even tighter around him.

Liara, in the meantime, had sprinted over to Visas, trying to talk her down from her despair.

Mandalore staggered to his feet. He made his way over to Liara, grateful that his implants were already at work, mending the injuries he had gotten from being thrown into the wall. He ignored Visas. As far as he was concerned, if she was too weak to face her old master, she deserved to die. Otherwise, she was a liability to those who would fight. "Why is he attacking one of his own?" he asked Liara.

Liara looked up at him. "He and Visas share a powerful force-bond. It is possible, even probable, that if she dies, he will as well."

"So is there some reason we aren't taking advantage of that?"

Liara looked at him calmly. "If you think I'm going to kill Visas in cold blood, you are sorely mistaken."

Mandalore looked down at her. "There is much more on the line than her. If we fail, all of the people on Telos will die." Through his helm, he looked Liara in the eye. "You are not like other Jedi, so do not pretend like you are. What I'm suggesting is not so outlandish. You did this same thing on Malachor V. You sacrificed thousands to save billions. The typical Jedi would not have done such a thing. But you did what had to be done. And this time, you only have to sacrifice one."

His piece said, Mandalore hurried over to Darth Nihilus, hoping to get to him while Nihilus's attention was still focused on the soldier. Liara watched him leave but returned her focus to Visas when she felt the seer grip her arm.

"He's right," Visas told her quietly. Liara opened her mouth to argue but Visas cut her off. "My old master must die. You know this. And the force-bond I share with him works both ways. If he dies, I may pass with him. So what I propose is this: While you and Mandalore take him on, I will meditate and do what I can to disrupt him. Then, at least, if I do perish, my last act was in the service of something great."

"Visas—"

"There is no time, Liara! The mandalorian needs your help!"

Liara looked at her sadly a second more before getting to her feet and running to assist Mandalore. Visas sat and crossed her legs. She worked to slow her breathing.

_Mandalore is right. There is much more at stake than our lives. And there is no better opportunity to prove I have turned from the dark side than to succeed in this mission here. We can do this. Liara can defeat Nihilus and I can help her. Then, if I survive, I can learn to live again._

x x x x x

Atton fired another shot into the last of the Sith soldiers that he had come upon. The Sith fell to his knees but still managed to lift his blaster to fire at Atton. Atton shot him in the head, the force from the blow knocking the soldier on his back.

After making sure all three Sith were dead, Atton reactivated his stealth field generator, telling himself to be more mindful of where he was going.

In his haste to reach Liara, he had gotten careless. Moments ago, he had come around a corner and ran right into this small sith group. His shield had shorted when he bumped into them, leaving him very visible to the soldiers. Not worrying about making noise at the time, he had quickly pulled both blasters and fired away, taking advantage of their surprise.

He sprinted toward the Ravager's bridge, taking the time to feel Liara out every few minutes. Each time he did, he felt her getting weaker and weaker.

Atton pushed himself to run faster.

x x x x x

Liara could feel her swings getting slower. She was getting tired, too exhausted to use the Force, even. But Visas's attempts at distracting her former master were working. Nihilus's movements were also slowed, and there were times he would stop attacking and shake his head violently, like he was trying to clear his mind of something. Liara heard him hiss something at Visas several times though she didn't understand what he was saying.

Mandalore was also starting to feel the effects of the strenuous battle. But he kept fighting, even laughing at times.

He managed to slice Nihilus across the back. Nihilus, who had been keeping his focus on Liara the entire time and ignoring Mandalore, slowly turned to him.

"Heh. Finally got your attention with that one, didn't I?" Mandalore said smugly. The pretentiousness was short-lived, however.

Nihilus held both arms out, hands open and palms facing each other. Mandalore readied himself to attack again when Nihilus swiftly brought his hands together in a loud clap. The mandalorian yelled in pain as he felt something crush him from both sides. It was like he got caught in a trash compacter. Mandalore tried to move, but he couldn't. His body was still paralyzed from the impact.

Darth Nihilus pulled both arms back, then pushed them forward, like he was shoving someone. Mandalore felt the wave hit him hard. He went flying backwards, crashing into a wall. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Mandalore!" Liara shouted. Gritting her teeth, she gripped her lightsaber tighter and swung it at Nihilus as he was turning back to her.

But Nihilus was too fast. He ducked her attack then grabbed hold of her wrists, one in each hand. He squeezed, his grip like ice on Liara's skin. She cried out softly as his grip got tighter and tighter until she could no longer hold onto her lightsaber. It shut off as it clattered to the floor. Still, he didn't release his hold. She slowly went to her knees from the pain, still trying to pull away.

He flung Liara to the ground. She landed back on her elbows. She tried to scuttle away from him, but her arms were numb. She felt silent tears start down her face.

_I have failed. I have failed everyone. He is too strong. Visas will become his thrall, again, Telos will be destroyed, again, and thousands will perish because of me, again. _

Nihilus stalked toward her. He bent over and took her face in both hands. He lifted her into the air, his hands still on either side of her head. She felt her feet leave the ground as she pulled at his hands, trying to get him to release her. Her head felt like it was near separating from the rest of her body.

Nihilus hissed something incomprehensible at her. She choked back a sob. He brought her face near his, their lips only inches apart. He inhaled deeply through his mouth, and when he did, Liara felt a chill slither around her. Nihilus sucked at the air again. The iciness increased as she felt some of her life force leave her. She realized that he was feeding off of her. She tried to struggle, but she felt drained. And as Nihilus continued to siphon her force energy, she felt herself growing even colder and weaker.

x x x x x

Atton burst onto the bridge. He looked wildly about for Liara and the Sith Lord. The last few times he had tried to get a sense of how she was doing, he had only felt flickers of life coming from her. Atton spotted Nihilus and Liara at the other end of a long walkway. He couldn't see Visas or Mandalore as he ran forward. When he got closer, he saw that Nihilus had Liara in the air, his hands clutching her head tightly. His head was bent towards hers, like he was kissing her, but their mouths were not touching. There was something almost sensual about it all, though not in a romantic way. Atton couldn't explain it as he watched Nihilus suck in air deeply through his mouth. He could barely see something akin to blue smoke leave Liara's mouth and flow into Nihilus's. He saw Liara's eyes roll back in her head. Atton didn't know what the Sith Lord was doing, but it obviously wasn't healthy for her.

He put on a little burst of speed and ran into Nihilus, knocking him down. Liara fell like dead weight to the floor, not moving. Atton ignited both of his lightsabers as he put himself between Nihilus and Liara. He wanted to check on her, but he didn't dare while Nihilus was still alive.

He tried to think quickly. If Liara couldn't take down Nihilus, there was absolutely no way that he himself would be able to.

Nihilus hissed at him.

_Another one strong in the Force. Tonight, I may succeed in quelling my hunger. If only for a time._

Atton heard the voice in his head. He assumed it was the Sith Lord. "If you mean to suck me dry, you can forget about it. I'll put a blaster hole through my head before I let you turn me into an empty husk."

Nihilus hissed again.

_So you can understand me. Perhaps I will spare you. After I dispose of my old apprentice, I could use another who serves me in her place._

"Serving one evil Sith Lord was enough for me. Thanks for the offer, though."

_Evil? Am I evil? Perhaps that is how you see me. But everything I have done has been in the interest of survival. I care not for power or ruling anything. I merely want to live._

Atton waved him off. "You make it sound like self-defense. But you've slaughtered millions just so you can live. Sorry. Enslaving others and committing genocide seem pretty evil to me. Who cares what your reasons are."

He was out of ideas, so all Atton could think to do was keep Nihilus talking until Liara came to. Then they could attempt to take him down together.

Atton felt Nihilus's gaze upon him. _Indeed. So you would presume to judge me. But you would not be able to understand my words if you did not have a trace of darkness within you. It would simply come across as hissing. And I sense the very same survival instincts in you. You have done much, just to stay alive. You and I are more similar than you realize._

Atton didn't even hesitate. "You're right, I enjoy living. Which is why I'm going to have to turn you down. Your apprentices don't seem to have a very long life-span."

_My enemies have an even shorter one. Besides, I am not giving you a choice in the matter. You _will _serve me._

"You know, I'm flattered that you want to keep me around so much. But you and me? We wouldn't work out. I'm already involved with someone. Besides, I'd outshine you in a week. You said yourself that I'm strong in the Force. Plus, I'm prettier than you are and way more eloquent. Well, let's be honest, my left boot is more eloquent than you are, what with your constant hissing and gurgling."

Darth Nihilus contemplated Atton silently for a moment, though Atton could feel the anger coming off him in waves. His hand flew out and grabbed Atton around the neck. He lifted him from the ground.

"I take it this means you don't want to be friends?" Atton managed to croak out.

Nihilus tightened his grip. _For someone who professes the desire to live, you sure do have a big mouth. Have it your way. I am just as content to satisfy my hunger with your life energy._

Atton's eyes widened as he saw Nihilus lean in close to him and begin to suck his life away through the air. Atton could see it leaving him. It was similar to the smoke he saw leaving Liara, though his was gray instead of blue. He suddenly felt cold and empty as his energy faded from him.

At the realization that he was dying, he felt a small burst of adrenaline. He stopped trying to pry Nihilus's hands from his neck. Then he gave a quick and hard chop to the throat of the Sith Lord.

Nihilus immediately released Atton and stumbled back, his hand at his throat. Atton fell to the ground. He stood, his knees shaky and his body shivering. Nihilus, having recovered, stalked toward Atton, his black cape billowing behind him. He backhanded Atton, sending him back to the floor. Atton looked up at Nihilus and saw him ignite his red lightsaber. Nihilus gripped it with both hands and raised it above his head, getting ready to plunge it into Atton.

A woman's cry of rage echoed through the bridge. Then Atton saw the red blade of a lightsaber burst through Nihilus's chest. Nihilus looked down at it in disbelief.

Atton looked past Nihilus and saw Visas standing behind him, her saber imbedded in Nihilus's back. She pulled it from him and stabbed him again. This time, when she removed her blade from Nihilus's body, he fell to the ground. At first, all was still. Then orange and red lightening shot out of his body in all directions. Red and black smoke permeated from him. When the smoke cleared, Nihilus's body was gone. All that remained of the Lord of Hunger was his mask and robes.

Visas dropped to her knees beside the "body." Atton could hear her making small choking sounds as she picked up Nihilus's mask.

Atton got to his feet and hurried over to Liara. She was alive, thank the Force, but she was still unconscious and cold to the touch. Atton knelt over her. He placed his hands over her chest and healed her as best as he could using the Force. It wasn't much, healing wasn't his area of expertise, but he was rewarded nonetheless when he heard her groan.

Liara's eyes opened. "Atton? What…are you…doing here?" Her teeth were chattering as she spoke, her breath coming out as smoke.

Atton was sure his relief was evident on his face and for once, he didn't care. "Protecting you, of course. But we have to get out of here. Mandalore's men will be blowing this ship to hell and back soon."

"What about…Nihilus? And Mandalore?"

Atton smoothed some of her hair out of her face. He was concerned that despite her obvious chills, she was sweating. He needed to get her some real medical attention, and fast. "Nihilus is gone. Visas did it. She took care of him. But I haven't seen Mandalore."

With great effort, Liara sat up. She looked over to where she had seen Mandalore last and found him slumped against the wall, still knocked out. She managed to stand, with Atton's help, and walked over to him.

She removed Mandalore's helm, seeing his face for the first time. His eyes were closed so she couldn't see what color they were, but his skin was scarred and rough. He had black hair that had a good amount of silver streaked through it. He also had a full beard and moustache that matched his hair. But what caught Liara's attention was the blood that had dried in his beard. It looked like it had come from his mouth. Liara used some medpacs on him. When she only had one left, Mandalore came to.

He groggily got to his feet. "Uh. I feel like the morning after a night of binge drinking."

"Are you…alright?" Liara asked him. "We have to…get out of here."

Atton didn't like that she was still shivering. He handed Mandalore his helmet. "We need to go. Now."

Mandalore knew his men would be blowing the place up soon, so he didn't even bother asking what had happened with the Sith Lord. He put his helm back on then began making his way from the bridge, radioing his men to get a status update.

Liara tried to walk to Visas, but her knees were still rubbery. She leaned on Atton for support as he led her to Visas.

Visas stood, her former master's mask in hand. "I am glad you survived this encounter, Liara. I feared that would not be the case."

"We all…survived…thankfully. Are you…okay?"

"I am well, now. But you do not seem to be. Let's get you out of here." Visas put an arm around Liara's waist to help Atton walk her off the ship. The three of them were moving at a snail's pace, but they were making progress when Mandalore ran back to them.

"My men have already initiated the countdown for the charges. There is no stopping it. We have less than five minutes to get our asses of this ship. Let's move!"

He took off running to the exit. Atton scooped Liara up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Atton…wha—"

"Sorry, Lee, but we don't have time to let you walk out of here on your own." Visas nodded, then put a burst of speed on him and herself. Then she was gone and out of sight not a moment later.

Atton ran after her, moving much more quickly, thanks to her. He flinched every time he had to leap over a body or some other obstacle as he could feel Liara bounce around behind him as he did so. As he neared the exit, he heard explosions not too far off. He willed himself to run faster as he felt the ship shudder beneath his feet.

"A-Atton!" Liara shouted.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the explosion blooming toward them, he could feel the heat scorching his skin. He returned his attention ahead and saw the ship's exit. He ran as fast as he could. He could see Mandalore and Visas already through it. Some of the other Mandalorians were standing at the door, readying themselves to shut it at Mandalore's order, whether Atton made it through or not.

Atton leapt through it just as they slammed it shut behind him, effectively closing off the explosions. Atton, breathing heavily, took Liara from his shoulder and gently set her on her feet. She held onto him, she was still having difficulties standing on her own.

She looked up at him, still shivering through her sweat and her teeth still chattering. "Let's go…and meet the others. I…don't want to…stay around here. I'm not…feeling so good."

x x x x x

Admiral Carth Onasi waited patiently in his room on Telos, looking out the window at his home world. The Ravager had been destroyed less than an hour ago, but he knew that the Jedi exile and her crew were already getting ready to depart. So he had asked to meet with her before she left.

He heard the doors behind him open. He turned and saw Liara enter the room. He could see Canderous and another dark-haired man stand on either side of the door, outside of the room. Then Carth turned his attention to the Jedi and really focused on her.

She was beautiful, though her appeal was not the same as Revan's. Revan had been an exotic beauty, while Liara's was more natural. However, he could see that she was ill. Her skin was pale and had a sheen of sweat on it. And though she managed to walk on her own, trying to stand tall, he could tell it was at great effort.

"I can see that you and I'm sure your crew are in need of a much deserved rest, so I won't keep you long," Carth started. "I needed to see you for two reasons. The first and obvious one is to thank you for everything you've done for Telos. This planet has seen enough destruction and to have you fight to save it…well, I doubt we could have staved off this Sith Lord's attacks any better than we did the last one."

"It was the right thing to do," she said slowly. It was obvious that she strained to get the words out with stuttering.

"Yes, well, you'd be surprised at how often 'the right thing' gets ignored by 'good' people. Anyway, the other thing I wanted to see you about is of a more personal nature."

She only looked at him, but Carth saw the man standing with Canderous stare hard at him when he said he wanted to speak of something personal. Carth recognized him as the pilot that had been arrested with Liara and an old woman over a year ago about the destruction of the Peragus Mining Station.

He couldn't help but smile at the man's obvious jealousy. Most men would indeed be quite taken with the woman standing before him. But the pilot had nothing to fear from him. Revan had claimed his heart and soul long ago.

Carth looked back at Liara. "I wanted to ask you about a mutual acquaintance. I'm sure you've discovered by now that the previous owner of the Ebon Hawk was none other than Revan?"

Liara nodded.

"I have to ask, have you seen her at all during your exile? Or while on your current mission? Have you been able to figure out where she's gone?"

"No, I'm sorry. I haven't seen her since she became the Dark Lord over a decade ago. And the Ebon Hawk's navicomputer is voice locked. I can't tell where she's been."

Carth wasn't surprised, though he was a little disappointed.

"How well did you know Revan?" she asked him.

Carth looked to Canderous, but he couldn't see his expression through his Mandalore's helmet. He looked back to Liara. "I knew her better than most. And after our mission to destroy the Star Forge, we stayed together for awhile. But she kept remembering more and more from her time as Darth Revan. Then one day she remembered something terrible she had done during the Mandalorian Wars. I don't know where she went, but she left to put a stop to whatever it was. And she said…she said she couldn't take any that she loved with her."

Carth noticed that Canderous had begun fiddling with his blaster rifle when he spoke of Revan leaving. He continued, "When she asked me to stay behind and keep the Republic strong, it was the hardest thing for me to do. But it was important to her. So I guess I just wanted to ask you if you happen to find some trace of her…"

"Do you want me to tell you what I find?" Carth was so distracted that he didn't notice Liara's breathing becoming labored.

"No," Carth answered. "Simply tell her…that Carth Onasi is waiting for her."

Liara nodded and walked back to her pilot. Mandalore looked back to Carth. He nodded at him and Carth reciprocated. Then Carth went back to staring out his window.

x x x x x

As soon as Liara came out of Republic's room, Atton lent her his arm to steady herself.

Mandalore didn't think Liara looked well. In fact, she seemed to be getting worse. He hoped she recovered from whatever was wrong with her soon. She deserved a better death than wasting away slowly. She deserved to go out fighting, taking as many of her enemies with her as she could.

But wishful thinking accomplished nothing, and there was still much to be done.

"Well, Liara, our time traveling together has come to an end. Now that the immediate threat is gone, I'm going to return to Dxun and continue rallying my people, as Revan had asked me to do so long ago. "

Liara looked at him in surprise but said nothing. She wasn't going to stop anyone from leaving if they wanted to. Besides, she knew that Mandalore was a loyal man, and if he gave Revan his word he would remain behind, only death would stop him from keeping it.

Mandalore removed his helm. Liara recognized the significance. If Mandalore took off his helmet voluntarily for someone, it was considered a great honor among the Mandalorians. And Liara viewed it as such. It was then she noticed then that his eyes were gray, like steel.

_Very fitting _she thought.

He looked her in the eye. "It has to be said: You and your crew may not be Mandalorian, but you are some of the finest warriors I have served with."

She managed a weak smile. "Does this mean your views on the Jedi are changing?"

"Ha! Not likely. You are no ordinary Jedi. Your comrades aren't, either, for that matter. Well, except for Blondie. That kid needs to be taught a lesson on how the galaxy really works, cure him of his naïveté. So, no, my views on your pacifistic Order remain intact."

Liara almost laughed, but began coughing when she did so. Atton looked at Mandalore.

Mandalore took the hint. "Perhaps we'll see each other again, Liara."

He put his helm back on and turned to go when Liara grabbed his arm. "Do you want me to tell Revan anything? If I find her?"

He almost told her to tell her he had done as she asked, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "No, anything I may want to tell her, I can tell her myself when I see her again."

Liara released his arm and took hold of Atton again. He began leading her toward their ship.

When Liara looked back for Mandalore, he was gone.

Atton pulled her forward. "Come on, Lee. You aren't looking so hot right now. We need to get you to the ship. Mical can heal you better than I can."

Liara coughed again. Atton was startled to see her breath was still forming little clouds in the air. Her skin was still clammy and cold. And though she was trying to fight it, she was still shivering.

"Come on," he said again.

She stumbled along with him for a short time. Then she stopped him, going into another coughing fit.

"Atton…I don't…feel so…" Her words were cut off by her labored breathing. She began swaying on her feet. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell into Atton.

Atton caught her and cradled her close to him. Her head and arms just hung as she lay in his arms, comatose.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: Grrr! I have written, and Rewritten, and REWRITTEN this chapter! SO many times that I officially hate this one. So I am so sorry on how long this one took. I seriously have been working on it for four weeks now. *sigh* Anyway, I hope it doesn't disappoint. The good news is that, now that this pain of a chapter is done, I can get moving again. I will be starting Ch. 16 once I post this!_

_**Ujemaima – **__You know I love you! I decided the order I would do my responses to my reviews would simply be the order they were received. But you've been sticking with me for some time now, so the place of honor shall be yours this time! Thanks!_

_**Sithmouse – **__Heehee! It makes my day to hear that you still get excited whenever you get the email update about my story! I REALLY hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. I'd hate to disappoint you…_

_**Akimi Butterfly – **__Yes, I rather liked that part as well, if that doesn't sound too terrible. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Bao-Dur was underrated. And I hope, considering it's been over a month, that your macaroni is indeed done by now XD Thanks, once again, for reading and leaving me such a nice review!_

_**Resident RC Metallica – **__Atton is indeed stubborn, as most men are (no offense to any of you men! I think a little stubbornness is attractive in guys!). And how awesome is it that you couldn't find anything wrong with my last chapter? Too awesome for words! Thanks for reading and reviewing again!_

_**Vayluh Arwen – **__Atton is a jerk, Mical is a goodie-good, and Bao-Dur is SO not given enough credit! But I have a soft spot for the bad boys, so Atton will always be my fav KotOR guy, though Canderous is a VERY close second. Anyway, I can't promise I'll stop with the cliffhangers, though I will try to update more frequently. Fair enough? So please don't kill me as of yet. I did save your life once, after all…_

_**Konveezy – **__Even though he's not the first person I listed, (again, I'm responding in the order I get the reviews) allow me to give a HUGE thanks to the man who has been with me from the very beginning of this story! Not kidding people! And I really appreciate that you stick with me on this, even when life, video games, or writer's block keeps me from updating as frequently as I'd like. I always look forward to your comments. I love you for it…_

_**Talravin – **__Thank you for the nice comment. Appreciated, as always. If you did get around to reading my DA oneshot, I hope you liked it and thank you for reading it! I hope I didn't spoil anything for you in the game…_

_**Depositink – **__I did have a blast with Dragon Age! It's great, isn't it? Though, with Mass Effect 2 out, I'm giving DA a break. Thank you so much for reading my little story and then taking the time to review. It always makes my day!_

_**GreenLizardQueen – **__Haha! Thank you for the awesome comment! You know, there have been times I've stayed up all night to finish reading someone's ficlet because it was simply THAT GOOD and it is really great that someone did that with mine! Thank you so much! And welcome to the fold!_


	16. Chapter 16

Atton was in the cockpit, cleaning his blasters for the third time, trying to keep his mind busy.

Yesterday, he had made it back to the Ebon Hawk, carrying a still-unconscious Liara in his arms. He had taken her immediately to the medbay and, as much as he hated to do so, asked Mical for his help. Mical had taken Liara from his arms and gently laid her on the bed. Visas, in the meantime, had ushered him out of the room, telling him that she or Mical would come find him once they knew what was going on with Liara.

So he had gone ahead and set a course for Malachor V while he awaited word on Liara's condition. Luckily, she was going to be fine. She had passed out because she continued pushing herself after her encounter with Nihilus, rather than rest right away. So Mical had her doing just that for the time being.

Mical had told him that he should be proud of himself. That if he hadn't arrived when he did, Liara would very likely be dead. But Atton knew the truth. It was his fault that she had come so close to death. If he hadn't gone after Tobin, he would have been right there with her from the beginning of the battle with the sith lord. Together, they could have stopped him before Nihilus had gotten the upper hand. Instead, he had given himself yet another example of his selfishness and susceptibility to his demons.

He sighed loudly. He did not want to think about any this. He abandoned his blasters and started looking about the cockpit for his pazaak deck. Pazaak usually kept his mind occupied.

Atton picked up his jacket from the back of his chair and started searching through the pockets. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bao-Dur enter the room.

"Can I help you find something?" Bao-Dur asked, standing in the doorway.

"Nope," Atton replied, pulling his worn deck from his jacket. He sat down in the pilot's chair and pulled out the table that was between his and the co-pilot's chair.

Bao-Dur came and sat in the empty chair, watching as Atton began shuffling the main deck. "Mind if I join in?" he asked.

Atton shrugged. "As long as it's not Nar Shaddaa rules, sure."

Bao-Dur laughed while he pulled his own deck and the two of them began playing.

They played a few hands in almost complete silence. Atton's mind stayed focused on the game and there wasn't even a stray thought of Liara. At least, not until—

"Did you really accuse the General of using the Force to manipulate you into her bed?" Bao-Dur asked.

Atton glanced at Bao-Dur for a second before looking back to the cards on the table. "What are you, her dad? Why should you care what I said to her?"

"You must know that she wouldn't have to stoop to such means in order to get a man."

Atton eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, you said that before."

"Well? Why would you say such a thing?"

"I'm still wondering how any of this is your business. You know, I'm starting to think…" Atton's voice trailed off as he looked at Bao-Dur, who would not return his stare. Then a thought entered his mind. "You love her," he accused.

Bao-Dur's head snapped up as he looked at Atton.

Atton stared hard at him. "You do, don't you? Am I going to have to deal with this with every man I meet?"

"I don't know," Bao-Dur said with a smirk. "I am not in love with her."

"No? Then why the concern?" Atton asked, disbelieving.

"Because I do love her, though it's like you would…a sister, I suppose. Like Mical, I've known her for many years, so of course I care about her well-being."

The fact that Bao-Dur and Mical had known Liara for over a decade had always been a source of unease for Atton. So he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Yeah, well, I'm the only one who's seen her naked."

Bao-Dur couldn't help but smile a little. "Chivalry is completely lost on you, isn't it?"

Atton ignored his remark. "So is this the part where you tell me to treat her right or you'll kick my ass? Or that she deserves better than me?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You are going to treat her how you want to, regardless of what I have to say about it. And if you decide to be a jerk, the General is perfectly capable of kicking your ass herself." He placed a card on the table.

"Hmph," Atton scoffed, sifting through his cards.

"And what she deserves is to be happy. _You_ make her happy."

Atton's eyes flicked up to meet Bao-Dur's. "Really?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Some might wonder what kind of woman would be happy with a murderer."

Bao-Dur said nothing. No one ever claimed love made sense.

The two men stopped speaking and went back to concentrating on the game for a while. Then it was Atton's turn to break the silence.

"Why do you do this, Bao-Dur? Why do you come in here all the time? And while we're at it, why do you let me rant at you whenever I feel the need? Why don't you tell me to space myself when I do that?"

"Is that what you wish me to do?"

Atton gave a seemingly nonchalant shrug.

Bao-Dur smiled. "Believe it or not, I consider you a friend. In fact, you may even be the best friend I've had in a long time."

Atton blinked a few times. He was surprised yet pleased at what Bao-Dur said. What's more, he realized he felt the same way about Bao-Dur. But he kept his face looking bored.

"So, what kind of man does that make me?" Bao-Dur asked, referring to what Atton had said of Liara.

After playing a card that brought his total down from twenty-three to twenty, Atton answered him. "A bigger fool than I am."

x x x x x

Visas walked down the hall toward the medbay. She was hoping that Liara was feeling better. Not only for the obvious reason, but because Visas needed to speak with her about Atton.

She was aware of Liara's relationship with him. There wasn't anyone on board who wasn't. She didn't know how serious it was, but that wasn't her business. No, what concerned her was just how trustworthy the pilot was.

She opened the door to the medbay and found Liara in the process of getting dressed. She looked well, much to Visas's relief.

Liara looked up at her as she entered the room. "Hey, Visas. Thanks for helping to take care of me while I was out of it." She pulled her shirt on. "I'm feeling a lot better now."

"It was nothing," Visas said modestly. "I am only grateful that you did not meet a worse fate after defeating my old master."

"I didn't defeat him. You did. Atton told me about it."

Visas decided that was as good an opening as any. "Indeed. Did he tell you why he was onboard in the first place?"

Liara tied her belt around her waist. "I didn't get a chance to ask him about it. I guess he wanted to see what was taking so long with Nihilus. We're lucky he came along when he did."

Visas frowned. "Lucky" wasn't the word she'd use. "I am unsure as to his purpose for coming aboard the Ravager, but it was not because we were taking a while. I saw him after we sent Tobin on his way. Then I saw him follow Tobin while he was going to meet Mandalore's men."

Liara sat down on the bed and grabbed one of her boots. She looked at Visas. "Just say what you are trying to say, Visas," she said firmly but kindly.

"I wanted you to be aware of his presence there. Again, I do not know what he was doing, but he was with us while we were talking to Tobin, then he disappeared after. He did not show himself again until the end. I worry over what he was doing during the time he was not with us."

Liara avoided Visas's eyes while she finished pulling her boots on. "If he was there, why didn't anyone else see him?"

"I would imagine he was using one of those stealth field generators. They are ineffective to my people, though, since we do not see the way you do. The Force is our eyes."

"So how do you know it was him, then?" Liara asked. She knew it was a stupid question. Although she didn't know how Visas was able to differentiate between one person and the next, she was obviously able to do it somehow. Visas was always aware of who she was speaking to.

Visas humored her. "I recognize people by their auras, rather than by their physical characteristics. Everyone exudes an aura of some kind, and each is different. Take yours, for example. Your aura is a nice, solid blue. A deep blue, bright and unmoving. Atton's is different, even from most others I have met."

"How so?"

"Well, his occasionally fades in and out. It is never completely gone, though. It is like he is constantly trying to shield his presence from others. And at times, it is very clear. When it is, it is…breathtaking. It is like electricity. Lightening, some a bold red and some a brilliant blue, constantly striking at each other. It is very mesmerizing, and very unique to him. There is no doubt it was he I saw aboard the ship."

Liara didn't know what Visas suspected Atton may have been doing since she was unaware of Atton's previous association with the Sith. But Visas was naturally suspicious of others and Atton taking off while onboard her old master's ship would have sent her warning signals.

Liara, on the other hand, did know of Atton's past. She didn't believe Atton was working with the Sith again. So that left only one reason Atton would follow Tobin. She hoped she was wrong.

She took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me, Visas."

Visas didn't ask what she planned to do. Liara had earned her complete trust, and whatever action Liara decided on, Visas would support it.

With purpose in her eyes, Liara started toward the cockpit. Bao-Dur and Atton were in there playing pazaak, joking and laughing. When she entered, the mood immediately sobered. Both men stood.

"Lee," Atton said. "You're ok."

Bao-Dur kept quiet.

Liara looked to Atton. "I need to speak with you, when you get the chance."

"Uh, alright."

Bao-Dur quickly gathered his cards and made to leave the room. He stopped beside Liara and placed a hand upon her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It's good to see you up and about, General."

She patted his hand with her own and gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Bao-Dur."

Bao-Dur left, leaving Liara and Atton alone. She shut the cockpit doors behind him.

Atton's eyes widened a little. "Ok, I don't know if I should be excited or nervous."

Liara managed to keep herself from smiling at his words. But she knew she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face around him for long so she didn't dance around the issue.

"Why did you follow us onto the Ravager?"

His face betrayed nothing as he stared at her. "I already told you. To protect you."

"And how does following after Tobin when I allowed him to leave protect me?"

Atton crossed his arms and leaned against the back of his chair. He knew what she was getting at. "You have your ways of looking out for others, and I have mine. I prefer a more…proactive approach."

"So you did do something to him."

He studied her for a moment. "How did you find out I went after Tobin?"

She didn't answer.

Atton thought back, wondering what he missed. He knew Tobin hadn't said anything because Atton hadn't seen him since he let him go. And he'd been with Liara since he saved her from Nihilus, so he knew she hadn't heard from Tobin, either. He didn't think his stealth generator had shorted while there so Liara, Mandalore, and Visas shouldn't have been—

_Dammit! I forgot about Visas and her force sight._

He chastised himself for being so foolish but kept his face casual. "I suppose Visas blabbed it to you."

She looked at him, her face serious. "Did you kill him?"

He didn't hesitate with his response. "What if I did?"

Though her face didn't show it, Atton could feel how crestfallen she was through their force bond. "How could you do it, Atton? You, of all people."

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Me of all peop—" He cut himself off as he felt his anger flare at her disappointment. He quickly closed the distance between them and glared down at her. "Liara, I used to murder people! I tortured many more! Why would you be surprised at me killing this man? A man who so richly deserved it, by the way."

Even as he raised his voice at her, she never flinched or backed away. "He wanted to make things right," she replied. "You should understand that. He was not a bad man, he just lost his way in his quest to do what he thought was best for his planet."

"Yeah? Tell that to the people he had killed while he was on this so-called quest to do the right thing. I don't care what you say, I did the galaxy a favor by getting rid of him. He wasn't going to change. If that makes me dark-sided, then so be it. But I don't see how stopping a man from continuing to kill whoever was necessary to put a tyrant in power is a bad thing."

She looked at him in disbelief. "If I felt the way you do, that would mean I would have killed you as soon as you confessed to me what you had done with the Sith."

Atton crossed his arms again. "Maybe you should have."

She didn't bother trying to hide the hurt she was feeling at that. "You saved my life, Atton. Several times, in fact. If I had done what you are suggesting, you wouldn't have been there to save me or Visas or Mandalore from Nihilus. Nihilus would have completely razed Telos and its people, and that would have been my fault, all because I killed you rather than give you a chance at redemption."

"Instead, Tobin is dead because you gave me a chance at redemption."

She opened her mouth to say something but then shut it again. She looked at him and gave a slow nod before turning to leave.

If Atton could have kicked his own ass at that very moment, he would have. "Lee, wait."

She ignored him and opened the door.

"I didn't kill him," he called after her.

She paused and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I didn't kill him," he repeated softly.

Liara closed the door and stepped back to him. "Why would you tell me you did if you didn't?"

Atton turned his head to the side so he didn't have to see her face while he confessed the truth. "Because I wanted to kill him. That was why I followed him. I came _so close_. But at the last second, I couldn't do it," he told her, almost sounding ashamed of himself.

She reached up and gently turned his face to her. Her eyes searched his, and he looked back at her, his eyes sad. Then she put her arms around him and laid her head against his shoulder. He was too surprised to do anything at first. But then he hugged her back.

After simply holding each other for a few moments, she pushed him away. He looked at her in confusion.

"You are such a bastard!" she said. "I can't believe you let me think you had done something to Tobin." With a hand on her hip, she jabbed a finger into his chest. "That was an unbelievably mean and callous thing to do! You are the biggest jerk I've ever met!"

Such an outburst was unusual for her. He couldn't help himself as he flashed his infamous crooked smile. "You little flatterer. Are you trying to seduce me, again?"

A quiet laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head at him. Atton pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.

x x x x x

Atton awoke to the beeping of the Ebon Hawk. He disentangled himself from Liara, who had not yet woken. He climbed out of the chair they were in and checked the ship's systems to see what was going on, though he was sure he already knew.

They were nearing Malachor V.

It had been nearly four weeks since they had left Telos, and Atton was actually happy. He and Liara had reconciled, and though they hadn't really talked about their…affair, he knew she felt something for him. He still made light of their relationship to everyone, including Liara. Until they finished with Kreia, it was how it would be.

He also found himself seeking out Bao-Dur's company for more than his late night vent sessions. It had been years since he had actually befriended someone, and he thoroughly enjoyed kicking back and drinking with Bao or playing pazaak with him. He never knew he could have such a good time with someone who wasn't female and naked.

And now, all of that might be coming to a close. Who knew what was going to happen when they landed?

"Are we there? At Malachor?" he heard Liara ask sleepily from their bed/chair.

"Very nearly," he answered.

She got up and began getting dressed. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on, not even taking the time to button them, and sat down in the pilot's chair. After checking the charts, he saw they still had a few minutes before they exited hyperspace. He quickly finished getting dressed then went to manually take control of the ship.

Liara came to stand behind Atton. "I'm going to let the others know we are nearing the end."

Atton didn't like the different ways that could be interpreted, but let it go and concentrated on leaving hyperspace.

"Crap!" Atton shouted as they entered Malachor's atmosphere. There was debris everywhere, floating around Malachor, and the ship was flying right into it.

Atton's piloting skills were put to the test as he maneuvered the Ebon Hawk around the derelict ships and chunks of Malachor V that orbited the planet. He could hear shouts and screams from the others onboard as he jerked the ship around.

With the exception of small bits of ships or rock, Atton had managed to keep the ship from getting hit. As he flew the ship down closer to the planet's surface, he began to think that maybe they would make a smooth landing, after all.

Right as he was readying to touch down on Malachor, a huge piece of asteroid slammed into the ship, sending it flying at breakneck speed toward the ground. Atton had been thrown up and out of his chair when the rock struck. He scrambled to get himself back into his seat and then attempted to bring the ship back up before it collided with the planet.

It was too late, however, and the Ebon Hawk crashed onto Malachor V, sending Atton headfirst into the control panel.

x x x x x

Atton's eyes slowly opened. He was lying down on the floor of the cockpit, alone, bleeding from a wound on his head that he had gotten when he struck the ships controls.

After much effort, he got himself to his feet. He pulled a medpak out of his jacket pocket and applied it to his injury. He could feel himself getting better almost immediately. It was then that he noticed that he could hear some of the others shouting from elsewhere in the ship.

Instantly concerned for Liara, Atton followed the voices to the main hold. He saw HK-47 carrying Liara to the medbay while Mical and Mira worked together to heal a broken arm that Visas had sustained in the crash. Mical was not wearing his outer robes and his inner robe was soaked with blood at the stomach. He was moving around fine, however, so Atton assumed he had already healed himself of whatever injury he had gotten. Mira was the only one who seemed to have escaped unscathed.

"Is Liara okay?" he asked Mical, following after HK.

"She will be fine. She was just rendered unconscious from a blow to the head," Mical called after him.

Atton waited for the droid to leave the medbay and then went in to assess her damage himself. She had quite a knot on her forehead and her bottom lip was busted open. But her breathing was normal so Atton believed that Mical's prognosis was correct. He hoped it was correct. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before leaving the medbay and going back to Mical.

"Where's Bao-Dur?" he asked, looking about the room.

Mical didn't look at him as he continued to minister to Visas. "I have not seen him. I have been trying to heal Liara and Visas so I have not gotten a chance to look for him."

Alarmed, Atton ran to the garage. He stopped short at the garage entrance.

It was in complete disarray. There was a small fire in one corner, the workbench was thrown across the room, and parts and tools were strewn around.

At first, Atton didn't see him among the wreckage. But as he turned to leave, he saw a leg sticking out from behind the overturned workbench. He hurried over and moved the table out of the way.

It was Bao-Dur, a large piece of shrapnel imbedded in his chest. His head was turned to the side, his eyes open but unseeing. Blood had pooled around his head, leaking from his mouth.

For what seemed like forever, Atton stared down at his lifeless body. He felt numb, like he wasn't really seeing his friend dead on the floor.

Mical came into the room and pushed past him to examine Bao-Dur. Atton stopped him. "Leave him alone."

"I have to make sure he is really—"

"He's dead," Atton said, his voice hollow but calm. "The idiot got himself impaled by some of the spare materials he always had lying around in here."

Mical looked at Atton with concern. He knew Atton had become close to Bao-Dur during their travels. He was sure Atton was in a state of shock or he wouldn't be speaking of Bao-Dur in such a manner.

"Atton, are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You don't see me lying dead on the floor, do you? I'm peachy."

Mical ignored the remark. "Do you need to talk?"

"Sure. The only woman I've ever cared about is unconscious, yet again. The first friend I've had in years is dead, thanks to my superior skill in piloting. And due to our spectacular landing, I'm sure our arrival has not gone unnoticed by the Sith Lords on this planet. I think that covers everything. Shall we go so we can figure out what we're going to do now?"

Mical watched Atton leave. Atton's behavior was definitely troubling. He needed time to grieve or he was in danger of snapping. Unfortunately, time was a luxury they could not afford at the moment. Mical told himself he would simply have to keep a close eye on him.

He knelt beside Bao-Dur's body and gently closed the dead man's eyes.

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_**LilliaJohnson**__ – I apologize. You asked me not to kill anyone, and I did anyway. I hope it hasn't ruined the story for you. But thanks for your awesome review! I always enjoy hearing nice things! Hopefully this chapter was just as good for you._

_**Ujemaima – **__Yes, I know. I've been terrible about updating regularly. Life gets in the way, sometimes, and trust me, I always feel really bad when I can't update as frequently as I'd like. I've even had to start seeing a therapist to get through the guilt I feel. And you didn't sound wimpy before, so no worries! And considering our shared appreciation for Bao-Dur, please don't send me hate mail for how I ended this chapter! As always, thanks for reading and reviewing._

_**Sithmouse – **__You always leave me such lovely comments! They always leave a smile on my face. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one, as well. Thanks for sticking with me on this. I always enjoy hearing what you think. And sorry, no steamy Atton kissy scenes this time around!_

_**Konveezy19 – **__Yes, I did hate the last chapter, but I'm glad you liked it! It has been redeemed in my eyes now! And I meant to put a comment in my author's note on Ch. 15 about the fight with Nihilus. I knew it wasn't exactly canon, but I forgot. And you caught it, of course ;P Anyway, you know I love hearing what you have to say on each of my chapters, and this time was no exception. You really make me feel like I'm a pretty decent writer! Thanks for the regular ego-boosts!_

_**Vayluh Arwen – **__Once again, I laughed out loud as I read your comment! And I'm glad you thought there was some funny bits in the last chapter as well. Humor is always good, right? Thank you for the R&R, my friend!_

_**Vshard – **__What an awesome comment you left! One of the best ones I've gotten for this story. Thank you so much and I'm so glad you are enjoying it._

_**Akimi Butterfly – **__I do love torturing my readers (tee-hee, I have readers!), I'm a bit sadistic like that. But I guess that makes you a masochist, does it not? Or you wouldn't still be reading my story. So we go well together! Yes, Atton is an idiot, but we love him anyway. Or I do, anyway. As for your third comment, about helping everyone who asks for it, I agree completely. I'm in the middle of saving the galaxy, people! No, I don't have time to dance in a slinky bikini for you, Vogga the Hutt. And restore your own damn pylons, Fassa! It's not that hard!_

_**GreenLizardQueen – **__Glad to see you back, again! And so glad you are still enjoying this!_

_**Leeirane – **__I'm glad you like how I'm portraying Atton. I've read some ficlets that had him…well, whipped. Totally not him, in my opinion. So I've tried to keep him from being too much of a pushover in this. As for killing him…_

_**Pinkstranger – **__I wish Obsidian had an actual romance in this game, as well. They were supposed to, but cut a lot of it out due to time constraints, dammit! *sigh* Anyway, I'm happy you love what I've written so far and I hope the few remaining chapters don't disappoint!_


	17. Chapter 17

"Alright, let us go over the plan once more," Mical said to the group gathered in the main hold. Everyone was present with the exception of Liara, who was still incapacitated in the medbay. "The droids will remain to keep watch over Liara and repair the ship so that we can leave once we are done here. The rest of us will head into the academy. If we work together, we may be able to take care of the sith threat before Liara wakes up."

There were nods around the room though no one spoke. Bao-Dur's death had been a shock to everyone. They had come so far without losing anyone that they had all taken it for granted that they would all make it through this alive.

They were each handling it in their own way. Mical and Visas were clinging to each other a bit more, having been reminded how swiftly life may end. Mira had allowed silent tears to fall, but tried to pretend they weren't there. Atton was more or less acting like he always did.

"Well, if we're doing this, let's get to it," Atton said as he headed to the Ebon Hawk's entrance. The others silently followed.

x x x x x

Sion swiftly walked through the Trayus Academy to its core. There, Traya was meditating. Sion approached her, waiting for her to acknowledge him. She didn't, though he knew that she was aware of his presence.

Sion cleared his throat. "Master, she is here."

"I know," Traya answered without even opening her eyes. "When she arrives, bring her before me."

"She will not survive Malachor," he countered, sounding almost hopeful.

Still, Traya made no move from her meditative pose. "She already has. But this time, the cracks shall be driven deeper than they were so many years ago."

Sion hesitated before asking what was really on his mind. "What will you do with her, my master?"

At this, Traya looked up at him. "What is this? Are you concerned for her? I was unaware you had any emotions left within that fractured body of yours beyond your hate and rage."

Sion said nothing.

Traya laughed at him, mocking. "You have grown even weaker than you were before. You know what I shall do. You, who wear my teachings so well. I will _break_ her. She is a blank slate upon which my teachings may be written - as I intended for you, so long ago."

Sion struggled with himself. He did not want the exile to take over his place as Traya's apprentice, but he didn't want her to suffer at Traya's hands, either.

"What of her allies?" he asked.

Traya chuckled softly. "Ah, yes. Her companions. The 'Lost Jedi.' Let me focus a moment…"

Sion waited for her to see whatever it was she was trying to see.

She came back to herself. "They are venturing here without her. She is…indisposed…at the moment, though not for much longer." She was quiet for a time as she thought. "Let them come to me. I shall use them to test Liara once more."

x x x x x

"I do not like this," Visas said quietly, coming to a halt. "To have come so far into this place and encounter no resistance… something is not right."

Atton agreed. Aside from a few storm beasts that roamed the planet, they had not fought anyone. They had entered the large academy without incident. He had expected to find countless sith assassins inside the building, but the place seemed deserted. They were moving quietly and carefully, but still, to not have bumped into _anyone _was unrealistic.

"Maybe we got lucky," Mira offered.

Visas shook her head. "No. It is not possible they are unaware of our being on this planet with the landing we had."

Atton glared at her. "I'd like to see you do better. We would all be dead if it wasn't for me."

Mical tried to calm him. "I do not think she was insinuating anything, Atton. She was merely stating fact. You said yourself that they would know we were here since we had such a… impressive crash."

"Look, no one knows who's here or how many," Mira replied. "For all we know, Kreia and that scary Sith Lord are the only ones here."

Atton took a deep breath. "No. You're right, Visas. I have a bad feeling about this, too. There are others here, I can feel them. But they aren't making themselves known to us for whatever reason. So we can stay here and wait to be ambushed, or we can keep on towards Kreia cautiously. Or option three: we just turn tail and leave this dead planet, forgetting all about this."

Visas started forward again, making her decision clear. The rest of them stepped in line behind her as they made their way to Kreia.

x x x x x

Liara awoke slowly, feeling groggy. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her eyes. As she sat up, she gingerly touched the spot on her head where she had hit the table in the main hold. The knot was gone, as was the cut on her bottom lip.

_One of the others must have healed me while I was out._

She stood up and went to the main hold. She frowned at the wreck that was her ship. She looked around, finding T3-M4 in the engine room making repairs.

"T3! Are you alright? Where is everyone?"

T3-M4 made a series of beeps and boops at her.

"Well, I'm glad you're still operational, T3. And I'm sure between you, HK and G0-T0, we'll have this ship space worthy in no time."

He beeped at her again.

She started. "The others left? Oh, no. I have to go after them."

He interrupted her with some more quick boops and beeps.

She turned back to the little droid. "Who left me a message? Never mind, just play it for me, please, T3."

A slightly blurry blue image popped up in front of her. It was Atton. He was in the cockpit, sitting in the pilot's chair. He was sitting on the edge of his seat, hunched forward, his forearms resting on his knees, his hands clasped. He was looking at the floor.

He sat there like that for such a time, wringing his hands. He finally looked up, his dark hair in his eyes. He made no move to brush his hair out of the way. Liara got the feeling he didn't want his eyes to show through very clearly.

"Lee, if you're watching this that means we haven't gotten back yet. I'm sure by now that this nosey little trash can has already told you where we're going."

At that, Liara heard some furious beeping from the T3-M4 on the recording directed at Atton.

"Quiet, tin can. I'm trying to say something here," Atton told the droid. "Anyway, Lee. I…I hate to say this over a recording, but I'd rather you hear it from me on here than stumble upon him by yourself. When we crashed, a large, sharp piece of metal impaled Bao-Dur in the chest. He...he didn't make it, Lee. He's still in the garage. I covered him with a sheet so that…"

Liara slowly sat down on the floor in disbelief. She watched as Atton stopped speaking and rubbed at his mouth and eyes with his hands.

Liara couldn't believe that Bao-Dur was dead. She felt tears burn at the back of her eyes, but she willed them back. Now was not the time for grieving. She'd mourn Bao-Dur as he deserved later. Right as she made her mind up on that, Atton started speaking again.

"I also wanted to tell you I'm sorry ahead of time… in case… well, you know. We're going after Kreia and while I'm sure we won't be able to take the schutta down, there's always the chance we will. And with the force bond you two share…" he sighed. "Look, Lee. I don't like this anymore than you do. I know you don't _plan _on killing Kreia, but we both know that's what it's going to come down to. So all of us are hoping that if you aren't actually there when it happens, that maybe you won't die along with her. Besides, I've killed enough padawans to know that Jedi Masters don't die with them, they just get very disoriented for a time. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past Kreia to have lied about your force bond with each other being lethal. Even the other Jedi Masters told you they had never heard of a force bond that strong. So maybe we'll get lucky here tonight."

Liara didn't know what to think at that. Everything Atton had said was correct. All she knew was that she loved each of her companions for the sacrifice they were making for her.

"One more thing, Lee," Atton sat up straight and finally pushed his hair out of his eyes. "In case something happens to me while I'm gone…" He exhaled loudly. "I can't believe I'm saying this. I never thought I would," he said almost to himself. "Liara, I—"

"Atton, we need to go over the plan once more before we leave," she heard Mical say to Atton on the recording.

Atton stood quickly. "Alright, already! I said I'd be out there!" he replied, his frustration clear through the holovid. He looked at the camera once more before shutting it off.

Liara couldn't believe what she had just heard, or almost heard.

_Was he really going to say what I think he was?_

She pushed the thought out of her mind. Now was the worst possible time to be thinking too much on her relationship with Atton. She couldn't be sure what he was going to say, anyway.

And poor Bao-Dur…

She thought about going to the garage to see him, but decided against it. She definitely wouldn't be able to stay strong if she looked at him right now.

Squaring her shoulders, she looked to T3-M4. "Thanks, T3, for the message. Keep repairing the ship, please. I'm going after them."

x x x x x

Atton was amazed at how they all seemed to know which way to go. They hadn't once gotten lost, nor had they stopped to decide which door they should go through or which hall they should take. It was almost like Kreia was subtly telling them how to reach her. It made him even more leery. He kept his hands by his lightsabers (having left his blasters on the ship, knowing they'd be useless against Sith Lords), just in case.

After a time, they came to the center of the complex. Atton spotted Kreia first, signaling to the others. They stopped and hid themselves among the shadows and wide columns that fenced the circular room. They each took their time as they observed her and the room.

"Okay," Atton whispered. "It looks like the old witch is alone and, big surprise, she's meditating. Any ideas?"

Mira aimed the rocket launcher she had attached to her wrist at Kreia. "I say we fire a rocket at her right now, and blow her screaming, burning body into the heart of this planet."

Atton scoffed quietly. "It wouldn't work. If there were other distractions, maybe. If she wasn't telepathic, maybe. If you want to kill her like that, you need something else to occupy her attention, otherwise you might just wound her. And then we'd all be in trouble."

"This battle will not be decided by weapons." Visas whispered, watching Kreia.

"Weapons might work better than you think," Mical whispered back. "Manipulation is Kreia's strength, not battle. Let us see what transpires and plan our attack."

Mira faced the others. "Since she's telepathic, a surprise attack isn't going to happen."

"Damn right it's not," Atton said in a harsh whisper. "Hell, she probably already knows we're right here, planning on attacking her."

Mira ignored him and continued. "We definitely can't take her one on one, so we just need to go in there together and hope that the four-on-one odds are in our favor."

"Agreed," Mical said softly.

Atton ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe what he had gotten himself into. "Okay, sounds like we're really going through with this. Let's at least split up and surround her before we actually let her know we're here."

He walked to the left a ways, hiding himself behind another column. Mical and Visas had gone right. Mical stopped once he was across from Atton. Visas kept walking a little more until she was directly across the room from Mira.

Mira showed herself to Kreia first. "We've come a long way, Kreia... don't bother getting up."

Kreia stood and smiled. Atton noticed she wasn't in the least surprised to see Mira. "Ah, the huntress. To come alone... you are braver than I thought."

"She is not alone. We stand with her," Visas said, her voice unwavering as she came in behind Kreia.

Mical stepped out next. "And with her, stand all the Jedi."

Atton materialized last. "And now I come in, saying something equally heroic."

Kreia didn't appear to be worried in the slightest. "Hmph. Children with lightsabers... but not Jedi, I think. Come close, let me look upon you and see what the exile's teaching has forged."

She walked a small circle, looking at each of them, studying them. "A lonely huntress of man…" she said to Mira. She came to Mical. "a naïve boy…a blinded slave," she said to Visas. She barely glanced at Atton. "…and a fool."

Kreia stepped back to the very center of the room. "What is it you hope to accomplish here? Do you truly believe the four of you can take me? I killed three Jedi Masters in the blink of an eye just a few weeks ago. But in your arrogance, you think you can fare better than they did. Fine. Which of you wishes to try yourselves against me? As you can see, I am unarmed. You, perhaps?" she asked Mical. "Come, child, where you walk, it is not far from battle, betrayal, and the darkness you dabbled in when you attacked your pilot on Korriban."

Mical's eyes widened in surprise that Kreia knew what he had done, but Atton was sure it was safe to say she knew everything that had transpired while she traveled with them, whether they volunteered the information to her or not.

Mical quickly ignited his green lightsaber and went forward to attack. The others activated their lightsabers as well, but before they could join in the fray, Kreia put Mical in momentary stasis, stopping him in his tracks.

"Think. Think before you throw away your life for her," Kreia admonished him. "Think of everything you will lose by dying. Your new found connection with the blinded one. A dance, unfinished. A love, requited. Think before you give it up so quickly."

She looked to Mira. "You, huntress, what of all of the missing people out there? You finally have the tools to reunite others, something you yourself will never be able to do with those you've lost, and you risk losing it all, here and now, in this futile attempt to stop me. You are out of your league here, you know this."

Mira didn't reply. She merely kept her blue saber at the ready.

She turned to Visas. "And you, blind one, you have hungered to strike me down ever since you saw the bond Liara and I share. Can you feel the Force running through me, even past the veil, past your bloodied eyes? You know you cannot win."

Kreia turned until she faced Atton. "And we at last come to the moronic pilot. You have more to lose here than any of the others. Such terrible acts lie in your past. Yet somehow you managed to find someone who can see past all of that. Someone who sees the real you, even when you are unsure of yourself. What are the chances you'll find that again with anyone? But perhaps that is why you are here. Perhaps you attack me in the hopes that I will strike you down. You fear yourself when you are with her because you know that, sooner or later, you will do something to muck everything up. You will let her down."

Atton's face grew angry at her words. "You don't know me, old woman!"

Visas gripped her red double-bladed saber tight. "The Force runs strong within you, Kreia, but in the howling of a storm, it is difficult to hear the whisper of the blade. You have forever been the blind one. You were given a gift few are ever given, and yet you let your gift of sight warp you, twis—"

"You think your existence under your Lord was torture, Miraluka? I will make you see."

With that, Kreia sent a chain of lightning into each of them. With the exception of Atton, they all fell to the floor, screaming. It took every ounce of strength that Atton had to keep his feet. He knew that if he fell, he wouldn't get back up, not this time. But no amount of strength could keep him from screaming along with the others from the pain. Kreia didn't let up. She continued to shoot the electric currents into them.

Atton saw that the others had stopped screaming. They were just laying there, not moving as Kreia shot more lightning at them.

He turned and started to run. He had to get to Liara. He wasn't ready to give up yet. Somehow, he had to save her.

He heard Kreia laugh from behind him. He expected her to shock him again or stun him with the force, something to keep him from getting away from her. Instead, she allowed him to leave.

Sion and a few sith assassins stepped into the room with Traya, watching Atton flee. Traya addressed the sith minions. "Take these three to the prison cells. Treat their wounds, but make sure they are imprisoned."

They nodded and began taking the injured group away.

"What of the one who ran?" Sion asked as he stepped beside her.

"Get rid of him. The fool pilot's uses have run out."

Sion gave a sharp intake of breath at that.

_So the dark-haired one is the man she is involved with _Sion thought. _Yes, I will take great pleasure in handling him myself._

Sion started after Atton.

x x x x x

Atton stopped in a small alcove once he felt he had put enough distance between himself and Kreia. He knew he didn't have much time, but he needed to catch his breath and address his burns. After he had healed himself, he peered out into the hall. He was relieved to see no one there. He stepped out of the niche in the hall and started in the direction he thought the exit might be. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he felt someone enter his head.

Thinking it may be Liara, he didn't immediately shut the person out. He felt for the person, then recoiled when he realized it was Kreia. He closed his mind off from her. He felt her trying to break through the walls he had thrown up.

Atton made his way back to the alcove. He couldn't fight Kreia off and sneak out of the building at the same time. He should have known she would try something. She wouldn't just let him leave.

He could feel that it took some major effort on her part, but Kreia did eventually break through, her presence invading his mind.

"Atton, we have been working hard at our training, haven't we? I was almost unsure if I would be able to enter your mind this time."

_What have you done to the others? _he asked her.

He heard her chuckle. "Now that you have saved yourself you worry for them? How very like you, Atton. You see, I was right about you. You have not changed. You are still the same selfish, coward you were before."

_I left so I could save Liara! I won't let her fall to you or anyone else!_

"But she already has."

Atton stilled.

"It was very foolhardy of you to leave her all by herself. She awoke not long after you left. She fought her way across the surface alone. She fought many sith once she arrived here alone. And it all proved too much for her. She was cut down."

_You're lying!_

"Did you not you wonder why you encountered no one when you were on your way to meet me? It is because they were already engaged in battle with her. She did not come in the same entrance you did and met up with the bulk of my soldiers."

_I don't believe you. It would take more than some sith grunts to defeat her._

"Normally, you would be correct. But even the strongest Jedi can fall to an endless wave of average men. However, I see words alone will not convince you. Shall I show you? That moment that was her last?"

_No! I don't want to see!_

Kreia ignored him. In his mind's eye, Atton could suddenly see Liara surrounded by countless sith. She was fending them off, but Kreia was right. There were far too many of them. For each sith she fell, two more took his place.

Atton tried to shut his eyes to the movie playing, but the attempt was useless since it was all in his head. All he could do was watch helplessly.

He could see she was tiring. And the sith were still replenishing their numbers. There were even a few sith force users among them.

He saw Liara keep fighting, despite her fatigue. And every time she received a slash from a vibroblade or a punch to the face or a kick to the stomach, she shrugged them off and continued her efforts.

Then Atton saw a Sith Marauder come up amongst the crowd. Liara saw him, too, but the other sith were so relentless in their attacks that she couldn't prepare herself for him. The marauder raised a bright red lightsaber and brought it down and across her chest. She barely managed to deflect the attack, but he was so strong that she was knocked to the floor. She tried to swing her lightsaber at him, but lying on the ground was not the best angle to make attacks. The marauder easily kicked her saber out of her hands. Without hesitation, he stabbed his lightsaber into her chest. She tried to pull the lightsaber from her but she was unable to reach the grip of the blade.

"No!" Atton cried out loud, his knees hitting the floor. "No, no, no, no, no!" The images wouldn't stop, though.

He saw her gasping for breath, tears streaming down her face. Her head rose up long enough to look at the blade imbedded within her before falling back to the floor with a thud, her eyes closed. After that, the scene stopped and disappeared from his mind.

Atton went to all fours then. He choked on his sobs as they racked his body. She was dead. She was dead and he was still alive. Why would the Force spare him and not someone as good as Liara? Or Bao-Dur? Or even that Jedi woman from his past? He could feel his rage building within him, bubbling to the surface, quickly replacing the deep depression he was experiencing. He latched onto the fury, preferring it to the despair.

_Why? Why would you let them kill her? Why bring her all the way out here just to have some sith kill her?_

"Fool," Kreia said with disgust. "You were supposed to protect her. Did I not tell you that so long ago, when I first discovered your dark past? I used your history against you. I told you I would reveal you to her if you did not stay with her and keep her safe! How was I to know that you would leave her alone on the ship? If anyone is to blame for her unfortunate demise, it is you. You failed her, just like I knew you would."

"You bitch!" he shouted out loud in anger.

"Careful, Jaq. Be mindful of your hatred or you will fall to the dark side once more," Kreia taunted him.

Atton struggled to get his breathing under control. He knew that if he tried to fight as emotional as he was at the moment, he would get himself killed. And while he didn't mind dying (indeed, he welcomed death now), he wanted to take as many sith with him before he went. He knew he was turning back to the dark side with these thoughts of revenge, but he no longer cared.

He had been kidding himself all along, thinking he could redeem himself. He had tried, really tried to be a better man for Liara. But now she was gone. And without her, he couldn't face his demons. He had nothing left to fight for.

He felt an old familiar feeling come over him. The one he felt while he was with the sith. It wasn't calmness per se, more like a stillness. A quiet yet strong stillness.

His hands steady, he smoothed the hair back from his face as he stood.

"What are you doing, Atton? I can feel something different about yo—" Atton abruptly shut Kreia out. And this time, he knew the shield he had cemented around his mind would keep Kreia from entering his mind again.

With renewed purpose, he stepped out into the hall and went in search of the sith.

x x x x x

Ginovae Dontin tried to quell her fear as she finished getting dressed in her sith uniform. She had been having a very fitful night of sleep when she was jerked awake by someone shouting that there were intruders in the academy.

Not for the first time she cursed herself for ever coming to this place.

Ginovae had come to the Trayus Academy several months ago. Initially, she relished the training and the idea that her strength and power made her superior to everyone else. She had even excelled in her lessons. But as the time neared for her to begin actual assignments, she began to have second thoughts.

She had accompanied a few of her fellow Sith on some "missions" in preparation for her own and the things they had done… were horrible. Ginovae had heard the rumors before she joined the sith, that they were evil and took pleasure in the destruction of others. But she had thought it all to be Republic lies and exaggerations.

But now she knew better. She had seen firsthand what they were capable of. Men being tortured for information. Women being raped just because one of the sith felt the need. Even children being executed so as to leave no witnesses.

Ginovae shuddered. She wanted to leave this place. Leave and forget all about the sith. But deserting the sith was an impossible task. No one left the sith. Not unless it was in a body bag. But she was getting desperate as the time came for her first task. If she ever did make it out of here, she would do everything in her power to make up for the bad things she had done and been party to.

She saw the seven other initiates who shared her dorm nearly finish readying themselves, excited for the chance at some real action for once. Ginovae did not share their enthusiasm.

Perhaps she could sneak away in the middle of the night. She could lose herself somewhere, maybe change her name…

Then, without warning, she saw an unknown man with dark hair storm the place. He had two yellow lightsabers that moved and twirled about him, his hands moving incredibly fast.

Two initiates started firing at him with their blasters. The man deflected the fire back at the men who had shot at him, killing both of them. He leapt into the air and landed in front of another, nearly cutting her in half as he landed. One sith tried to come up behind him but, without even looking at him, the unknown assailant stabbed backward with one of his sabers, catching the sith in the stomach. The dark-haired man spun quickly, slicing through the wounded man's chest with his other lightsaber. He deactivated his lightsabers and leapt again. He landed and swiftly brought his hand up, violently shoving his palm up into another sith's nose. Blood sprayed as the sith fell to the floor, dead.

Ginovae could feel her knees begin to shake as she watched the dark man.

He pulled a dagger from his boot, flinging it at one of the remaining sith. It struck him in between the eyes, felling him. Then he used the force to choke the life out of the last opponent.

He slowly turned to Ginovae. She felt a whimper escape her lips as the man stalked toward her, his face a calm mask. She backed away slowly, pulling her vibrosword.

"Why didn't you help your friends?" he asked her, his tone emotionless as he wiped some blood splatter from his face.

Ginovae stared at him in confusion. She absently noted that he would be very handsome if it wasn't for the cold expression he had on his face. It was then that she noticed his eyes. She became incensed at the sight. She hadn't seen this man before, but he was undoubtedly one of her sith superiors.

"What is this? Some kind of messed up test? Are you trying to weed out the weak or something?" she demanded angrily. This sith master would probably cut her down for sassing him, but considering he had already done that to the others in the room, she didn't think her chances of living too much longer were very high, anyway.

He laughed at her. It was a hollow sound and it sent shivers up her spine. "Sure, it's a test. I'm testing myself to see how many of you sith bastards I can take out before someone finally kills me. Right now, I'd say I'm at about…" he counted off on his fingers. "… one, two… twenty-four sith dead."

She knocked the hand he had been counting on aside with hers. "So you're just killing us because you feel like testing yourself? I knew you sith killed on a whim, but this is just…too much."

He looked startled at her words. "Listen, sister, I'm not a sith. You're the sith."

"Really?" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Could've fooled me. Your yellow eyes kinda give you away, _brother._"

His hand flew out and snatched her weapon away from her. She stepped back in surprise. He lifted the blade and stared into it, studying his eyes. Ginovae eyed him with a mixture of fear and suspicion. She was starting to think this man was not a sith. He seemed too surprised at the mention of his yellowed eyes, which he could not seem to stop looking at in the reflection.

"Look, I'm not a sith," she told him quickly. He looked away from the blade and at her. "I'm not, I swear! I don't know what your reasons are for being here or doing what you're doing, but I'm not one of these guys. Please! All I want is to get out of here!"

He threw her blade behind him and ignited one of his lightsabers, bringing it up in front of him. "And why should I believe you? Or care, for that matter?"

"Please!" Ginovae begged. "You asked me why I didn't help my 'friends!' That's why! They aren't my friends! I decided over a month ago that I didn't want to be a sith, but it's not exactly an organization you just walk away from! If you let me go, I'll spend the rest of my life atoning for my mistakes. Just give me a chance!"

She saw his eyes widen at that. He looked to be struggling with himself. She ventured to hope that she may have convinced him to spare her.

But then his face contorted with rage. She screamed as he raised his lightsaber high above his head and brought it crashing down.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wrote and posted Chapter 18 already, so don't forget to read that one! I thought it would be UNBELIEVABLY cruel of me to end this chapter like I did and make you wait forever to see what happens next. Did it for you, people! But don't think that means you don't have to review this one ;P_

_I also wanted to say that I was really distracted while writing this chapter and the next one so my apologies if they suck. __**Konveezy**__, you already know some of this, but my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer a few months back so I've been busy taking her to chemo and radiation treatments. And if that wasn't enough, my sister's stupid boyfriend tried to kill her (not exaggerating, he even went to jail for it) and what does my sister do? Tell the police it was a misunderstanding and refuses to file charges so his ass is already back out and she's living with him again! Grrr, I'm sorry. I needed to vent for a moment…_

_Anyway, some of the scenes are, of course, from the game. I am aware that this isn't a hundred percent canon, so there is no need to point that out._

_Now for the fun part!_

_**Leeraine – **__Woot! You liked how I did Atton's reaction to Bao-Dur's death. I felt it was fitting to him, so it makes me happy to hear you agree. And no, poor Atton doesn't deserve any of it! Poor guy!_

_**Akimi Butterfly – **__I didn't kill Bao-Dur! Obsidian did! I just followed their story! Blame them! And what is this 'foreshadowing' you speak of? I haven't hinted at anything that may happen later! *halo beams above head* I also found it funny how many times the Ebon Hawk got shot out of the sky and yet was still perfectl capable of taking to the air again. Another funny thing, why is it that every time the ship crashed, everyone landed OUTSIDE of the ship?_

_**GreenLizardQueen – **__I'm glad you liked chapter 16, in spite of it being a tad depressing. Thank you for reading and for leaving me another comment!_

_**Sithmouse – **__I didn't want to kill Bao-Dur, honest! I LOVE BAO! Just following Obsidian's plot… As for Atton, it's strange how he can be so lucky and so unlucky at the same time. You said it best, poor guy just can't catch a break!_

_**Konveezy - **__*sigh* I just can't surprise you, can I? Well, I'm glad you are continuing to read these, even if you do have an idea on where I'm going with this. And now that things have kind of settled down here at home and I'm practically finished with this fic, I am FREE! Which means that I am immediately going over to your ficlet and reading your latest chapter! Thank you for staying with me for so long on this. I always look for your reviews and you always make me feel more confident as a writer. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!_

_**Ujemaima – **__Stupid website! Not letting Uje post her review when she first tried! I hate it when it does that to me! Well, thank you for trying again instead of just skipping it this once! You know I love hearing from you! I hope you liked this chapter and that you like the next one as well!_

_**LilliaJohnson – **__Haha, I have to say that I smiled quite broadly when I read your comment. I'm glad you LOVED the last chapter, even though I did something a little naughty by killing Bao-Dur. Hopefully these two I just posted don't disappoint._

_**Dark-Huntress Moony – **__Agreed, killing Bao-Dur is not nice! Stupid Obsidian! *angrily shakes fist at Obsidian and LucasArts* Anyway, I'm happy you like what you've read so far! And keep the comments coming!_


	18. Chapter 18

"Please!" the sith girl pleaded. "You asked me why I didn't help my 'friends!' That's why! They aren't my friends! I decided over a month ago that I didn't want to be a sith, but it's not exactly an organization you just walk away from! If you let me go, I'll spend the rest of my life atoning for my mistakes. Just give me a chance!"

Atton's eyes widened at that. The girl seemed as desperate as he had been to get away from the sith. And he knew firsthand how difficult it was to abandon the group, even with his training in traveling undetected and masking his presence. This girl wouldn't have made it two steps from the academy before getting caught.

But her words had also reminded him of Liara and her views on redemption.

He was suddenly overcome with feelings of self-loathing. He was becoming the very thing that Liara had been fighting, what she had been trying to save him from. He was disgusted with himself, and yet he still wanted to strike this girl down. To make these people suffer like they had made Liara suffer. Like they had made _him _suffer.

His roiling emotions caused his anger to return.

He raised his lightsaber high above his head. He heard the girl scream as he brought it crashing down. It struck the ground at the girl's side, deactivating when it did.

Atton dropped to his knees, suddenly feeling very tired. He could feel the girl's eyes on him, unsure as to what he was doing, why he didn't kill her.

"What's your name?" he asked her quietly.

She didn't answer, but Atton touched her mind and discovered it on his own.

"Go on," he told her. "Get out of here. But if I ever hear of you with the sith again, I'll personally hunt you down and kill you slowly, Ginovae."

She made a small sound from the back of her throat at his mention of her name. She backed away from him a few steps. "Thank you," she said before finally turning and running away.

Atton barely heard her. He was at a loss as to what he should do now. Liara may be gone, but somehow, he could still feel her. She had told him once that when people died, they became one with the Force. Was that why he felt her with him still?

It was then he decided he would do what she had come here to do. If she was here, she would take care of the sith threat. But she would first save her friends.

Atton sighed. They sure weren't any friends of his, but he would rescue them anyway. Or at least try. Bao-Dur had told him to let Liara be his reason for "staying on the path of the light." He wouldn't let her death negate that. She would still be his motivation.

He stood and tried to ignore the dead bodies of the sith he had killed moments earlier. On his way out of the dorm room, he passed a mirror. He stopped and stared at himself. He saw that he more or less looked like he always did. But his eyes were definitely yellow. He wondered how long it would be before they went back to their normal color. Then he silently thanked whoever might be listening that Liara wouldn't see him like this.

x x x x x

Liara, who was alive and relatively well, quickly disarmed the sith from the group that had ambushed her earlier. She had little choice but to kill the others when they attacked her, but now that there was only one remaining, she decided to get some information from him.

"Where are my friends?" she asked him, her lightsaber pointed at him.

"They're in the prison, probably getting tortured as we speak," he told her spitefully.

Though she was alarmed by the idea of them in that situation, she was grateful they were alive. Her face remained passive, however, as she asked the sith which way to go to reach them.

He ignored her.

She brought her saber a little closer to his face. "Tell me how to get there and I will allow you to live."

He glared at her. "Fine, just get that thing out of my face."

Liara lowered the blade but still kept it at the ready as he gave her directions.

When she was sure she had a good grasp of where she was going, she turned to leave, intent on reaching the others.

Once her back was to him, the sith grabbed a vibrosword off one of his fallen comrades and lunged at Liara with it.

She sensed his incoming attack and spun around, blocking his assault with her lightsaber. Then she quickly cut him down. Once he was no longer a threat, she proceeded down the hall.

Liara eventually arrived at the prison. She made short work of the sith guarding the jail cells then went to check on her companions. Relief flooded over her that she had finally found them and that they appeared to be just fine. The sith that had given her directions was lying about them being tortured.

She deactivated the force cages they had been imprisoned in then hurried to them. Mical, Visas, and Mira gathered around her, expressing their gratitude that she had managed to free them and that she was okay. Liara noticed that Atton was not among them, but she made sure they were all alright before she asked them where he was.

"He didn't get caught with the rest of us," Mira told her. "But I heard Kreia send Sion after him, telling him to take care of him. We haven't heard anything else."

Liara caught her breath at that. She hoped she found Atton before Sion did. She looked at the small group. "Are you feeling well enough to travel?"

They all answered in the affirmative.

"Alright," Liara started. "Mira, you head back to the Ebon Hawk. The droids need all the help they can get to get the ship repaired. The way should be clear for you."

Mira nodded.

"Mical, Visas, you come with me. We need to find Atton quickly."

x x x x x

Sion could feel that he was getting closer to the pilot. But he didn't hurry as he stalked after him. Instead, he savored the hunt, the anticipation of killing the man that Liara had given herself to.

He felt himself grow stronger as he fueled his anger with images of Liara and Atton together. And he wanted to be as strong as he could possibly be when he faced the pilot. Oh, he would take his time with him once he found him, but he wanted to show Atton how inferior he was to the Lord of Pain's own power.

They spotted each other at the same time. Atton had been coming toward Sion, trying to find the prison. They both stopped and stared at each other for several seconds.

Sion began forward again. "And I get the fool," he said, his gravelly voice serious.

"Funny," Atton replied, igniting both of his lightsabers. "That's just what I was thinking."

Sion leapt forward, using the force to propel him further, activating his red lightsaber in the process. He brought the saber down with incredible force, but Atton managed to block it. Sion kicked Atton in the knee, causing him to stumble. Sion then slashed again, this time cutting into his shoulder. Atton grunted in pain, then swung both of his sabers. Sion blocked one, but missed the other. It sliced him across the side.

The battle continued for some time. Atton had actually managed to bring Sion to his knees several times, but Sion would just get right back up again. Each time, he was completely restored whereas Atton only had precious seconds to attempt to heal himself at any one time.

Sion was surprised at how far Atton had come with his skill in battle from the time on Korriban. But he still didn't stand a chance.

The sith lord dodged an attack from Atton, then rushed forward, slashing at Atton's arm. It was nearly severed from his body. Atton immediately dropped the lightsaber he had been using with that hand, unable to hold it any longer. He stumbled to one knee, cradling his arm.

Sion was trying to decide what next to do to him when he detected Liara. Sion turned away from Atton, unconsciously stepping in her direction.

With great effort, Atton got back to his feet, his working hand still clutching his torn arm. He healed it as best he could, ensuring it wouldn't fall off, but it was still useless to him.

"Running away?" he asked Sion. "I'm not done with you yet."

Sion didn't immediately turn around. "Nor I you."

He spun quickly then, his lightsaber catching Atton in the side. Sion tore the injured man's remaining lightsaber from his hand, throwing it to the side. Then he lifted Atton into the air with the force.

Sion stepped closer to him. He reached up and grabbed Atton's face, his fingers like steel. He turned Atton's face from one side to the other, inspecting him. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous over Atton's good looks. Sion briefly remembered how he had looked once upon a time, before he had ravaged his body with the Force to keep himself alive. "I will remake you. So when I look upon you, it shall be like a mirror. Then I shall let you die."

Atton couldn't bring himself to care. "You've already killed Liara. There's nothing worse you can do to me. Take your time."

Sion abruptly released his hold on Atton's face. "I suppose Traya told you that?"

"She showed me," Atton said quietly, helpless to stop himself from remembering what he had seen. "So go ahead and do what you want to. There's nothing left inside me."

"Fool. The exile is alive. Traya was toying with you."

Sion relished seeing him struggle with this new information. Still using the force, he lowered Atton enough so that he could look him in the eye. "She has already found the others you came with. She is now looking for you. Which means I do not have much time to transform that pretty face of yours. But I think I shall leave those eyes of yours alone. We do not want her to miss those when she finds you."

Sion didn't give him a chance to respond. He grabbed hold of Atton's injured arm, digging his fingers into the wound. It wrenched a scream from him that was almost deafening. Sion was sure that, wherever Liara was, she could hear him.

He twisted his fingers in the mangled flesh, eliciting another scream from the pilot.

x x x x x

Liara, Mical, and Visas stopped in their tracks as a man's scream echoed through the halls.

Mical glanced around the room. "That sounded like…"

"Atton," Liara finished for him, looking straight ahead as they heard another scream.

They ran then, trying to detect where the cries were coming from. They came to a t-intersection in the corridors. Liara didn't hesitate as she turned to the others.

"I'll go left, you two go right. Just…hurry," she told them.

She didn't wait for an answer as she took off down the hall.

Visas and Mical hurried in the other direction.

x x x x x

Atton didn't hear it when Sion left him. He was sitting against a wall in the room they had battled in, his jacket covering him somewhat. Sion had torn most of his clothing so that gaps of his skin showed through everywhere. His body looked like someone had taken a bright red marker and drew jagged lines all over it. But it wasn't marker. It was blood from where Sion had lacerated his skin. And Atton could feel that whatever was showing on the outside, the inside was worse. He could feel that his muscle and blood vessels had been slightly rearranged. Not enough to kill him instantly, just enough to ensure he would die a slow and agonizing death.

But his face had taken the most abuse. Aside from the cracks Sion had created everywhere on his face, Atton's mouth was swollen and bleeding. The corner of his mouth had a bright purple bruise covering it. One of his cheekbones was broken, creating a slightly melted look on one side of his face. His nose was broken and even his forehead hadn't been spared, having fractures all across it. But true to his word, Sion had made sure that his eyes remained untouched.

The pain Atton was in was unbelievable and it intensified when he moved. So he kept still, his head hanging to his chest, his eyes closed. His legs were splayed out in front of him. His injured arm was hanging at his side, his other arm wrapped around his upper chest, hand on the opposite shoulder.

But despite all that, all he could think of was what Sion had told him.

Liara was alive.

Atton was hesitant to believe that. He wanted to, but he couldn't get what Kreia had shown him out of his head. But the thought that she wasn't dead…

The damage was done, however. He had killed many in the name of revenge. Revenge for her, which he knew would be the last thing she wanted. When Liara found him, she would know what he had done.

Atton knew it was cowardly, but he fervently wished he would die before she came across him. It would hurt more than the physical pain he was experiencing for him to see her face, her eyes, when she found him like this.

He allowed himself to hope that, even though he had killed for vengeance, he had still helped her along by ensuring that she didn't encounter as many sith as she would have if he hadn't done what he had. That maybe he hadn't failed in protecting her.

Atton heard a quick intake of breath from across the room.

"Atton!"

He slowly lifted his head to see Liara rushing to his side.

"You're…alive," he said, almost choking on the relief he felt. Sion was right, after all. "Did I…save you yet?"

She didn't answer as she knelt before him, her eyes swiftly taking in all of his injuries. Atton's hair fell in his eyes as he looked upon her, but he didn't care. He was thankful for one last chance to see her face, even while he still feared her reaction to him. He was reminded of the current color of his eyes then. He hoped she wouldn't be able to see them through his hair.

He caught the expression on her face as she looked him over.

"Your eyes…" he said. "That bad, huh? Always was ugly. Now the outside matches."

"You're going to be fine," she told him. Atton noticed that she didn't look him in the eye when she said that.

"Was waiting for this but… it's not fair… let you down. Was… 'sposed to save you," he croaked. He let his head fall back to the wall behind him. "Was tired of living anyway, too many deaths."

That wasn't true. While there had been a lot of death in his life, he didn't want to die. Not now that he had her.

He watched her as she put her hands on his injured arm and sent the force through it, healing the damage. He could feel some feeling come back into it.

He reached up and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Never told you, lied to you…"

Tears welled up in her eyes at that. Atton could see that she was getting frustrated with herself. She wasn't healing everything fast enough. She was still trying, but he knew it was useless.

He gritted his teeth as a particularly painful wave went through his body. He knew from experience that dying was one of the most undignified things for someone to go through. Not that he had ever cared much for dignity, but he realized that at this very moment, with her, he did.

Atton tried to push her away. He did his best to turn from her. "I don't want you to see me like this. I don't want to…die in front of you. Can't…bear it."

He saw Liara's tears fall then. She ignored his request and continued to heal him where she could. Atton felt unexplainable emotions over that. The fact that she was trying so hard to save him, that she was crying over him… he had never expected such a reaction to his death.

Atton looked at her. Really looked at her. She was crying and had a sheen of sweat on her face. Her hair was pulled back, but tendrils had come loose and were sticking out. Her nose was red and running. Atton thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She looked at him, wiping the tears from her face.

He took a deep, painful breath. It was now or never. "Loved you from the moment I first saw you… thought you were a dream."

She began openly sobbing then, but she kept trying to heal him.

He could feel himself fading. He struggled to say what he had been wanting to say to her for so long. "Meant every word. Tried to play it off as a joke. Wasn't funny." He tried to laugh, but stopped at the agony that tore through his body when he did. "Hurts when I laugh… hurts."

She brushed his hair from his eyes and looked into them. He didn't try to hide his eyes from her. He was dying, and he wanted her to be the last thing he saw. Atton knew she had to see that they were yellowed, but her expression didn't change and she didn't say anything.

Instead she kissed him, her hands on either side of his face. He kissed her back as best he could. She was still crying, though, even as she kissed his lips.

She stopped kissing him and began her healing attempts again.

Atton saw Mical and Visas run up behind Liara. They stopped short when they saw him. But the hesitation lasted only a second before they joined Liara in her healing.

He ignored them and concentrated on Liara. "You saved me," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper now. "Joke's on me." He gave a weak laugh, then grunted in pain. "Hurts when I laugh… hurts."

Atton closed his eyes and let darkness claim him.

x x x x x

Liara gasped when she saw Atton close his eyes and go limp. She gave his cheek a few quick slaps.

"Atton! Wait! Wake up! Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open and darted around the room quickly before settling on her. Liara could see him struggle to focus on her.

"Atton, please. Don't go. I…I love you, too."

Atton smiled at her. "Lee, you are…stupid woman. Lucky…for me."

His eyes slowly closed again, a smile still on his face.

"Stay with me, Atton!" Liara pleaded as she joined Mical in trying to heal him again.

Visas stood and pulled Liara to her feet. "We cannot help him now."

Liara looked at Visas, her eyes angry.

Visas ignored Liara's glare. "You must stay focused on the task at hand. Lord Sion and Kreia must be dealt with."

Liara jerked her arm out of Visas's grasp.

"He is still alive. I'm not going to just leave him here."

"There is nothing more we can do for him," Visas told her, her voice firm.

Mical stood. "If we can get him back to the ship, to the med bay, we _may _be able to save him."

Liara turned to him, her eyes hopeful. "Mical?"

He held a hand up to her, not wanting her to get her hopes up.

"There is a small chance. And I stress the word 'small.' We are becoming too drained to continue using the force on him. But if we hurry to the Ebon Hawk, I may be able to stabilize him. Then he may just pull through."

Liara didn't hesitate. "Do it. You and Visas take him back to the ship. I'll meet Sion and Kreia on my own."

"No," Visas said. "This is foolishness. You cannot possibly mean to fight them by yourself. Mical and I need to go with you, not be wasting our time on a lost cause.

"And you," she directed at Mical. "How could you do this to her? She is expecting a miracle now, when we both know his chances are slim."

"Visas," he said, taking her hand. "I am a physician. If he has a chance to survive, I will do everything in my power to save him."

She scoffed, turning her head away from him.

He put his other hand beneath her chin and raised her face so she was looking up at him. "And you would do the same as Liara if that were me lying there."

Visas frowned at him. She was silent for a moment. "You are right, of course. I apologize, Liara. We will leave at once and do what we can to bring him back from the brink."

Liara exhaled loudly. "Thank you."

She turned to go but stopped when she felt Mical's hand on her arm.

"Liara," he started. "Are you going to say nothing about…his eyes?"

Her face was expressionless as she asked, "What would you like me to say?"

Mical squirmed a little under her scrutiny, but continued on. "He was obviously doing something he should not have. Perhaps it would be prudent if we take some precautions should he recover before you return."

Liara sighed. "Mical, I understand what you're saying. But I'm sure that won't be necessary."

He opened his mouth to argue but she spoke again before he could.

"They weren't yellow before we landed, so whatever it was he did, was done after that. He would have had to do something terrible repeatedly for his eyes to have changed, and judging from all of the dead sith bodies we came across while looking for him, I think it's safe to say that he was the one responsible for them. He probably killed them for revenge for Bao-Dur, thus earning the change in irises."

Mical shook his head slowly. "If you say so, Liara. I just hope it truly is reason that led you to this decision and not the fact that you are emotionally attached to this man."

With that, he and Visas started for the Ebon Hawk, with Atton suspended between them, floating on a current of the Force. Visas led the way, saber at the ready while Mical continued to heal Atton.

Liara closed her eyes for a moment and beseeched the Force and any other powers or beings that might be listening to allow Atton to live.

Then she pushed all thoughts of her companions out of her mind and focused on her objective. She had to confront Kreia. But before that, she would inevitably have to deal with Sion.

Liara did not feel anger as she thought of Sion, in spite of what he had done to Atton. She had been trained against feelings of vengeance and grudges. Instead, she tried to discern a way to bring Sion down should a battle occur.

She thought back to what Kreia had told her of him. There was the obvious near-immortality he possessed. He was incredibly strong physically, average user of the force, and average intelligence. Something else Kreia had told her of her former protégé was that, unlike most other sith, Sion was not a manipulator. Lies and deceit were not his way. In fact, he was usually honest with anyone he was dealing with. Almost like he was incapable of guile in any way. Kreia had said that this was one of his biggest faults, especially since his propensity for honesty made it difficult for him to detect treachery in others.

Liara went forward once more, heading for the center of the academy. Her best hope would be to weaken his will. His hold on his anger. She would have to somehow convince him to let go of his own volition if they did indeed come to blows.

_A Sith Lord who was typically truthful and a Jedi who was going to try to exploit it _she thought, almost ashamed of herself. _The Force does indeed have a sense of humor._

x x x x x

Sion rose from his meditation when he felt her enter the room. He had assumed she would be angry over what he had done to her lover, but from what he could see, she wasn't. So maybe she hadn't found him yet. Or perhaps this was the Jedi "There is no emotion…" teaching at work here.

He found himself almost hoping that she hadn't discovered her beloved pilot. Or, at least, that she didn't know it was he who had tortured and ultimately murdered him.

She started toward him, her lightsaber in her hand, though it wasn't activated. Sion was almost mesmerized by her. He hadn't seen her since Korriban. Since his feelings for her had grown to…well, whatever it was they were for her.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. And she moved with a grace and ease that would put even the most talented twi'lek dancer to shame. Sion stood still, just watching her.

She stopped in front of him and just looked up into his eyes. Sion hated that she had come, that he would have to be the one to kill her. Initially, he wanted to kill her since she was the last Jedi. Then it was because Traya had shown that she favored Liara over himself. But now, all of his old reasons were gone. Now, he simply wanted to give her a swift and painless ending. It would be far more merciful than allowing her to go forward and suffer at Traya's hands.

"You should not have come to Malachor. She will break you. Your mind…" His eyes roamed over her. "…your body. You will be lost. Return to the surface. Let the planet claim you, as it claimed the other Jedi. There is no reason for you to suffer at her hands."

She looked startled at his words. "Are you showing me mercy?"

He ignored her question. "I cannot let you pass. If you do, you shall not return as you are now."

He was nearly drowning in her eyes as they gazed on him, almost sadly.

"I cannot do as you ask," she told him. "I bear no hatred for you, Sion, but I must keep going. Stand aside."

"No! I will not allow her to break you." He ignited his red lightsaber.

She stepped back from him and activated her own double-bladed silver saber. She did not attack him, but instead took a defensive stance.

Sion felt anger run through him that she was forcing his hand like this. He charged her then, bringing his saber down on her.

x x x x x

Mical and Visas finally made it to the Ebon Hawk. Mira spotted them while she was getting the tools she needed to repair the hyperdrive. Mical heard her gasp when she saw Atton.

"What happened to him? Is he alive? Where is Liara?" She asked, flooding them with questions.

Mical and Visas continued to the med bay as he answered her.

"We did not reach him before Sion did. This is his work. Atton is alive…barely. And Liara stayed behind to take on Sion and Kreia herself."

Mira didn't argue how foolish any of this was. Instead, she asked, "Is there anything I can do to help with him?"

"No," Mical told her, using the force to lower Atton to the med bay bed. "The best thing you can do right now is to finish with the ship repairs."

Mira nodded and left the room to do just that. Visas came round to Mical.

"Is there really any hope for him?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, there is, however small it might be," he said as he began hooking an unconscious Atton up the various machines.

Visas began stripping Atton of the rags that had been his clothing until he lay on the table, nude. If she could, she would have cried over the extent of the usually cocky pilot's wounds. They were severe and she could only imagine the pain he was in. She marveled at Atton's will, as surely that was the only thing keeping him going. Anyone else would have succumbed to his injuries long ago.

Mical frowned at the monitor that showed him all of Atton's internal lacerations. It was worse than he thought. He may have been wrong about Atton's chances.

Still, he would keep trying until Atton stopped breathing.

"All right," he began slowly. "He really needs a kolto tank. But since we do not have one, we will have to make do with what we have on hand here. Can you bring me the canister with the concentrated kolto, my love?"

While she searched for the canister, he started an IV into Atton, sending some of the healing liquid into him to assist with his internal trauma.

She set it next to him and the two of them began tearing some gauze into long strips. Then they dipped the strips into the kolto liquid. Lastly, they wrapped Atton's body and limbs with the newly made kolto bandages.

Once they had the dying man nearly completely covered with the make-shift bandages, Mical checked the monitor again. He was pleased that the kolto was already doing its job. He just hoped it worked fast enough to keep Atton from death.

He turned to Visas, taking her hand. "You go help with the ship repairs. I will stay and monitor his progress."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before leaving to look for Mira.

Mical turned back to Atton and began using the Force to help heal the pilot where he could.

x x x x x

Sion was furious.

Liara had managed to bring him to the brink of death several times already, and each time, he regenerated. She was visibly tiring and she had sustained several cuts from his saber, unable to heal herself as quickly as he was.

But rather than simply lying down and accepting the inevitable, she kept going, forcing Sion to keep hurting her.

And throughout it all, she kept telling him that Traya (or Kreia, as she was calling her) was just using him. That Traya had no respect for one such as he and would dispose of him as soon as his usefulness was spent.

Deep down, Sion knew that she was right. But what was he supposed to do? Just allow himself to die? He couldn't do that. In truth, he was afraid of dying. Afraid of what came next, after death.

But each time she spoke, and each time he hurt her with the force or his lightsaber, he felt his hold on this life loosen ever so slightly.

So when his anger had reached its boiling point, he lunged at her. She stepped back, but was stopped when she backed into a wall. She tried to come off the wall, but Sion was already on her, making sure she was stuck in that spot.

She brought her saber up in front of her, but he knocked it out of her grasp. He stepped closer to her, so close that they were nearly touching.

"If you go before her, you will be broken. If killing you will spare you what lies ahead, then kill you I must…"

He gripped his saber tighter as he brought it up. He was so close to finishing this. All he had to do was stab her with his blade. She was completely defenseless now.

Even knowing that her life was at an end now, she looked up at him and met his gaze, unflinching. He felt his conviction falter as he looked upon her.

He roared in frustration, but she didn't shy away from him. She stood before him, unmoving as he vented. However, when Sion calmed somewhat and reached forward to touch her, her eyes widened slightly and she unconsciously pressed herself against the wall.

Sion quickly pulled his hand back. "Why must you make this difficult? Return to the surface. Leave this place. Do not force me to destroy you."

"I force you to do nothing, Sion. I don't have that kind of power over you."

He turned from her, his hands reaching up to clutch at his head. "But you do. You are always in my head." Sion caught the look of surprise cross her face at his words as he turned back to her. "I see you in my mind at all times. There is no escape from you, even in my meditations, you are there."

She stepped toward him, her eyes searching his face.

"You are beautiful to me, and I have not felt anything but hate for anyone in so long." He looked to her face, expecting to see disgust at someone as grotesque as himself feeling anything for someone as exquisite as she was.

But instead he saw only sadness on her face as she returned his stare.

"Sion, I-I don't know what to sa—"

"You are not required to say anything. I do not expect any kind of reply from you on this matter. But I cannot let you go before Traya. She would do worse than kill you. I cannot… I will not let that happen."

"Then you will have to kill me. I can't turn back."

Sion stared hard at her, saying nothing for a time. Then he stepped toward her once again. "You are her weakness, you know. She favors you above all others, including myself."

He reached his hand out again, noticing that this time she did not move away. His hand grazed her hair. He watched her face as he let her strands slide through his fingers.

"You were her weakness," he said again softly. "As you were mine."

Sion backed away from her and looked around the room. "I am glad to leave this place…at last."

He looked back to Liara.

"Sion, wait!" he heard her say before he let go of his anger, his dead body crumbling to the ground.

Liara ran to his body, kneeling beside him. She was surprised that she felt tears well up in her eyes at the sight of the sith lord lying on the ground dead. He had killed so many people, possibly including Atton, but she couldn't stop herself from crying over his lifeless body.

Perhaps it was because her body just couldn't take any more emotion without letting it out. She hadn't allowed herself to cry over Bao-Dur. She had stopped her tears for Atton almost immediately after they had begun. Maybe her body and mind just refused to hold anymore back.

Or maybe it was because she was mourning Sion, now that she had actually gotten a glimpse of the man beneath the hardened sith exterior.

It could have even been because Sion had chosen to give up his life rather than take hers. She now had a better understanding of what Atton had meant when he said he loved that other Jedi woman when she sacrificed herself for him.

Maybe it was all of these things.

Liara allowed herself these tears. She allowed herself a moment to grieve before getting to her feet and going forward to meet Kreia, leaving her outer robe behind to cover the sith lord that had given his life for hers.

x x x x x

Mira and Visas were in the med bay with Mical and Atton. Atton was still knocked out and still barely hanging on. Mical was still administering to him.

"The ship is repaired enough to be space worthy again," Mira told him. "There is still lots to be done on her, but we can fly and repair the minor things while we're on the go."

Mical nodded absently while he checked Atton's medical readouts.

Visas placed a hand on his arm, getting his attention. "Perhaps we should go back and assist Liara. It has been several hours since we separated and we are starting to worry."

Mical shook his head. "I cannot leave Atton now. He is still teetering on the edge. Every moment is crucial right now."

"I understand," Visas replied. "Mira and I can go. HK-47 has already asked to accompany us."

Mical looked at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed since he and Visas had first gotten back to the ship. He began to feel anxious over how long Liara had been gone.

"All right, love, you three go on. I wish I could go with you, but I promised Liara that I would do everything I could to heal Atton. I must keep that promise."

"And I appreciate that more than you could possibly know, Mical."

Mira, Visas and Mical turned to the entryway, surprised to see Liara standing there.

There was a round of exclamations as she limped into the room.

"What happened, Liara?" Mira asked.

Liara took a deep breath before answering. "Kreia is dead, as is Sion."

She hobbled over to the bed and knelt beside Atton's still mending form. She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her face. Atton made no movement that he knew she was there.

Mical brought Liara a seat and examined the leg that she was limping on while she continued to simply touch Atton.

"So it is finally over," Mira said with a heavy sigh.

"No, it isn't," Liara said. "I must try to find Revan. She was trying to put a stop to something out there, and I will do what I can to help her."

"Good. When do we get going?" Mira asked her.

"We leave Malachor right away. We will return to Telos so we can see to…Bao-Dur. Then I will go on to the Outer Rim to hunt down Revan. Alone."

"What?" Mical exclaimed. "You plan to just leave all of us on Telos?"

Liara avoided his eyes. "It is the only way. I can't have anything out there to distract me from what needs to be done."

"After everything all of us have been through together?" Mical asked, incredulously. "What about…what about Atton?"

She looked at Atton, wiping away tears from her eyes. "I will leave all of you on Telos, including him. I can't have what happened earlier happen again. I care for all of you so much. It was the most difficult thing in the world for me to leave him while he was dying." She brushed some of his dark hair from his eyes, watching his chest rise and fall with his labored breathing. "I managed to do it, to go on and face Sion and Kreia. But I know that I couldn't do it again."

"But—" Mira started.

"Please," Liara pleaded. "My mind is made up on this. Please, Mira, just take us to Telos."

The three of them left Liara then, Mical telling her what to do to keep Atton's healing up.

Once she was alone with him, Liara carefully climbed into the bed with Atton and put an arm over him. She sent the force through her body and into him, willing him to live.

x x x x x

A month later, their little group was on Telos in the Restoration Zone, gathered around a soft mound of earth that had been gently moved over Bao-Dur's body.

Mira, Visas, and Liara had all dressed themselves in a white, gauzy material that wrapped around their body and flowed behind them. Admiral Onasi, Mical, and Chodo Habat were all wearing their finest. Mandalore still wore his armor and helmet, but had made sure it was polished and gleaming in the sun. Even Atton, who had recovered for the most part from his bout with Sion, had forgone his usual attire in favor of something nice.

It had been touch-and-go with Atton for about a week, then Mical had finally given the crew the news that Atton should be able to pull through. Just a few days later, he regained consciousness, though initially it had only been for moments at a time. Once he had gotten well enough that he was awake and coherent most of the day, he became a somewhat difficult patient for Mical and Liara. He kept insisting that if he was to be bedridden and nude that the least Liara could do was join him. Later, he had caused quite a stir when he gotten so tired of being stuck in bed that he just ripped the tubes from his body and left the med bay to get a stiff drink, giving everyone on board an eyeful of his naked body.

As for his "dying" confession to her, he had asked Liara if she had really told him she loved him, or if that had just been the fantasies of his fevered mind. She had smiled and kissed him, then told him again that she did love him. He had spent the rest of the day grinning like an idiot.

Now, he stood next to Liara, as they said their final farewells to Bao-Dur.

The only ones missing were the droids, including Bao-Dur's remote, all of which had stayed with the ship.

Chodo Habat presided over the funeral, though Liara said a few words, as well. Mical then asked Atton if he wanted to speak.

Atton opened his mouth to say something smart to Mical, but remembered where he was and quickly shut it again and gave a short shake of his head.

However, once it was over and everyone began moving away from the gravesite, Liara caught Atton say something to Bao-Dur's resting place. She didn't hear what he had said, and she never asked.

Habat gave his condolences to Liara and the others once again and took his leave. Liara saw Mandalore and Carth whispering excitedly over something. Then after saying a short goodbye, they quickly left together.

The five remaining people stood together in silence for a moment, knowing that this was their goodbye to each other as well.

Mical and Visas had decided to stay on Telos for the time being and help Habat with his restoration of the planet.

Mira was going to go back to Nar Shaddaa and planned to use her newfound Jedi talents to help unite families that had been separated due to the war.

Liara was still unsure what Atton was going to do. When she had told him that he wouldn't be accompanying her to the Outer Rim, he had nearly leapt out of the bed he was still restricted to during his healing. They had argued about it for some time, never coming to an agreement on the matter. Liara, fearful that he was going to have a setback if they continued on the way they were, left the room. Neither brought the subject up again.

"Well," Mira started, breaking the silence. "I guess this is it. You guys take care of yourselves. And if you're ever on Nar Shaddaa, look me up."

Mical nodded, giving her a hug. "Of course. And you do the same if your search for others brings you here."

Mira gave a hug to everyone else, then left, trying to hide her tears.

"Liara," Visas began. "Are you sure you want to go on alone? Mical and I are more than willing to travel with you once more on this new mission you are undertaking."

Liara hugged Visas. "I want to say yes. More than anything. But this is far more dangerous than what we just accomplished. I can't allow you guys to risk any more for me. You guys are just starting out. You should be happy and reasonably carefree right now."

Mical went forward to hug Liara. He cut it short when he heard Atton clear his throat. He held his hand out to Atton, who hesitated only a moment before shaking it.

"Thanks, kid, for saving my life," he mumbled almost under his breath.

Mical smiled at him. "You are welcome. I suppose that makes us even?"

"Sure," Atton said, smiling back.

Exhaling loudly, Mical turned to Visas. "Shall we, love?"

She nodded and the two of them walked away.

Liara and Atton watched them leave.

Liara swallowed hard and held back the tears as she readied herself to tell the one and only man she had ever loved farewell. She could have laughed at the change she had gone through. She didn't think she had ever cried so much in her entire life as she had in the past month. And most of it was because of the man standing next to her.

But goodbyes were like ripping off bandages. It was best done quickly.

"Atton, I—"

"So, you ready?" he interrupted as he began walking back toward the Ebon Hawk.

Liara stared after him for a second than hurried to catch up to him.

"Atton, we went over this already. We agreed that I was going to do this alone."

"No, _you_ decided that and I agreed to let you think you were doing this by yourself until it was time to go."

"I can't let you do something like this again, Atton. You're still recovering," she said, gesturing to his limp and his stiff arm. "No, I refuse to let you come with me."

"And I refuse to let you go."

"Atton, stop," she said firmly, grabbing hold of his arm.

He stopped and looked down at her.

She looked him in the eyes, which were still yellow, and frowned. "This isn't a game or a joke. You aren't coming."

"Lee, I finally found this beautiful woman who is as much a fool as I am because she actually feels something for me. I'm not about to just forget about that. So stop arguing with me and let's go."

"Fine, Atton. I…I don't love you," she stammered, trying to keep her eyes from straying away from his.

His jaw clenched as he stared at her. Then he started walking to the ship again. "Nice try, Lee. You are a really terrible liar. Maybe we should work on that while we're on our way to Revan."

Liara let out an exasperated breath as she went after him.

"You…You stubborn, hard-headed wookiee! Fine, but don't be expecting any sex from me for a good long while!" she said as she stormed past him.

Atton grinned at her back. "You say that now. But you know you can't resist this. Maybe I'll let you catch me in the shower again."

She glared at him over her shoulder, blushing, which only served to make Atton burst out laughing as he limped after her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_A/N: ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!!! WOOT!!!_

_Again, some of these scenes are from the game and I am already aware that this wasn't entirely canon and that I left some stuff out. Sorry, I didn't feel like rehashing everything with Kreia in her final battle. And I couldn't care less about Bao's remote blowing Malachor up. _

_Also, I don't know if it's just my computer or what, but I'm noticing that my little asterisks that I do to show scene breaks aren't showing up in my chapters. I tried using other symbols to show them and they still aren't showing. So if it's that way on everyone's, I'm sorry if you are having trouble understanding this._

_As for my thanks for everyone's reviews for the previous chapter, I'll get to those in my next and FINAL chapter!_


	19. Epilogue

_**For My Baby Sister, Brittany**_

_For those of you who actually read my author notes, I'm sure you remember me venting a few chapters back about how my sister's boyfriend had been beating her and yet she always went back to him. Well, she suffered the ultimate consequence for such a choice. He finally went too far and now my beautiful sister is gone. But while her pain is over and I can at least take comfort in the knowledge that he will never hurt her again, the rest of us who love her will suffer for her choice the rest of our lives._

_I share my sister's tragic story with you now so that others may learn from her mistake. She loved her boyfriend and she couldn't let go of the man he was when they first started dating. That was why she stayed with him through it all. She was only twenty-three years old and the most beautiful woman on this earth, inside and out. If you look at my author profile page, I have her picture posted so everyone can put her face to this story, not just a blank generic stick person._

_Brittany, this and everything else I write from now on is for you. Your brother and I love you, your niece and nephew miss you, and we'll see you again someday._

_.net/u/1997436/lyricangell_

_**One Year Later…**_

Mira had been on Nar Shaddaa for about nine months. When she arrived, she gave herself enough time to find a place to crash in the evening before setting out for the refugee sector.

Things had improved for the refugees since she had been here last. Liara taking out Saquesh and the rest of the Exchange had helped the refugees immensely. And the Serroco gang had not tried to encroach any further on the refugees, preferring to keep to themselves.

Mira had found that there was definitely no shortage of people who had loved ones missing. She merely had to turn and point and she'd find someone who needed her services. Taking a note from Liara's book, Mira never charged more than what she needed to survive and continue with her work. And if someone couldn't pay, she'd let it slide.

Things had been going well. She put her Force powers to work to locate the missing. This often took her off-world, though occasionally she'd get lucky and discover the person who had been missing had been on Nar Shaddaa the entire time, lost in the crowd.

Up until her last mission, reuniting families had been easy. She had simply to find the person then bring them back to where her client was. But the people she had been sent to find last were different.

A man named Kenten Dannuz had hired her to find his wife and young son. Like most of the other refugees, the war had caused his family to disappear in the wind while he served the Republic. What made this case different was that his family had been taken by Gamorrean slavers.

Hiring help for this particular job had never even crossed Mira's mind. She had always worked alone when she was bounty hunting, and now that she was a Jedi, she had simply assumed that a few dim-witted pig-men would hardly be a challenge. This proved to be a very costly assumption.

Mira found Mrs. Jypsa Dannuz and her son, Eethun, quite easily. They had just been purchased by a wealthy merchant and three Gamorreans were transporting them across planet to the purchaser. Mira managed to intercept them before they reached their destination.

The problem came after Mira had incapacitated all three guards. She had boarded her small landspeeder and was readying it to leave. Jypsa and Eethun were seating themselves when one of the guards that Mira had thought was unconscious snuck up on them and quickly snatched Eethun just as she was driving off.

Jypsa didn't even hesitate as she leapt from the back of the vehicle to rescue her child. She pounced on the Gamorrean's back, beating at him with her tiny fists. The slaver shoved Eethun aside in order to deal with the slight woman who was attacking him. Mira quickly stopped the landspeeder and jumped from it. She grabbed Eethun and threw him back into the landspeeder. She turned to retrieve Jypsa but stopped short when she saw the Gamorrean grab Jypsa from over his shoulder and swiftly break her neck. He then tossed her to the dirt like she was a piece of trash.

Mira immediately ignited her blue lightsaber and cut the slaver down. Then she retrieved Jypsa's body to bring back to Kenten, telling young Eethun his mother was just sleeping.

The worst part of the whole ordeal was that, as upset as Kenten was at his wife's death, he was not angry with Mira. He instead was grateful to her that she rescued his son and brought his wife's body back to him. Mira would have preferred his rage.

That last mission was what prompted Mira to seek a partner for all future endeavors.

She had received many responses from all walks of life, but none had been hired. Some wanted too much money, some didn't seem trustworthy, and some were still a little wet behind the ears.

The girl in sitting in front of Mira now seemed the latter.

She was a blue twi'lek who looked like she was 15-years-old. She was very pretty with a well-toned body, but Mira wasn't looking for someone to charm her enemies. She could handle that herself. The twi'lek had two things going for her, however, and they were the only reasons Mira hadn't told the teen she wasn't interested: She said she had a male companion who, to use the girl's words, was "incredibly intimidating" and all the two of them wanted as payment for their work was room and board and Mira's promise to help them locate someone.

Still, Mira wasn't sure if she wanted to be responsible for a teenager. The work she was doing had already proven itself dangerous at times.

So Mira told her just that.

"I bet I've seen more action than you ever have!" the girl responded hotly.

Mira sighed. "Look, kid, I'm sure—"

The twi'lek angrily cut her off. "Hey! I ain't no kid! I'm almost twenty-one-years-old!"

Mira was surprised at the girl's age, but twi'leks typically had a youthful appearance. "Fine, Miss…"

"Oh!" the twi'lek exclaimed. "My name! Sorry, we never did get to that, did we? My name's Mission. Mission Vao. Pleased to meet you."

"Look, Mission, I'm sure you can handle yourself, but what I am doing is dangerous. People have died, which is the reason I'm taking on help in the first place."

"I can handle myself! Me and Big Z can take on whatever you got. We helped Revan take down Malak, you know. We even got a Cross of Glory for it," Mission revealed proudly.

Mira's red eyebrows rose slightly. "Impressive. If it's true."

Mission folded her arms across her chance. "Why would I lie? You can easily check if it's true or not. There were photos of our whole group all over the holonet."

_If she's telling the truth, I could find out exactly how skilled this twi'lek is if I contact Mandalore, _Mira thought._ HK-47 said once that he and Mandalore had also fought in that epic battle against Darth Malak with Revan._

Mira studied the girl a moment.

"You said you had a companion?" Mira asked suddenly, changing the subject. "Why isn't he in here with you? Obviously, I would rather meet with both of you before I make a decision, in addition to learning more about the job you have for me."

'Well, Big Z is more of the strong, silent type. If I decide you're okay to work with, then he'll make an appearance. He's right outside. And you'll find out who we want to find if you decide to take us on as partners."

Mira contemplated the young woman in front of her. Mission was not a child, as she had first thought, so that worry was taken care of. And if she really was one of the crew that served with Revan, then she was more capable than she appeared. Mira took that as a plus. She herself was often underestimated, and it worked in Mira's favor. And having two attractive women who knew their way around the battlefield could only help, in addition to her mystery companion.

"I would like to meet your boyfriend, then, if you find me suitable to partner with," Mira said.

Mission's face immediately showed her disgust with the idea of her companion being her boyfriend. "Yuck!" she cried. "He's like a brother to me! A very large, hairy, stinky brother. You'll see what I mean. Let me grab him real quick."

Mira watched her poke her head out the door and confer with someone quietly. Then she stepped back and made room for her "brother."

Mira gasped in surprise when she saw him. At first glance, she thought it was Hanharr, brought back to life once again. But on closer inspection, she saw that this one was taller and leaner than Hanharr was. His fur was a lighter shade of brown. And he didn't have Hanharr's infamous wrist cuffs.

She restrained herself from immediately ordering them from her domicile. Hanharr had been the only one of his kind she had ever encountered, and that was more than enough. But through the Force, she could sense that this being in front of her did not share Hanharr's madness. And if that was true, he would indeed be a valuable ally if he had even a fraction of Hanharr's strength. And he certainly was intimidating to behold. The fact that he traveled with Mission and helped keep an eye on her, well, that spoke volumes of him to Mira.

So Mira decided to test him first. He surely knew who Hanharr was. Zaalbar was only the second of their species Mira had ever encountered, so they couldn't be too widespread.

"Now that we have all met, I have a confession to make," Mira started. "I already have a partner. Like your large friend here, he only meets the candidates once I've given the okay. He's actually of your race," she said, looking at the wookiee. He returned her stare, his face looking blank. "Maybe you know him. His name is Hanharr. He—"

Mira was cut-off by the most terrifying roar. She quickly stood and placed her hand on her lightsaber.

Mission went to her friend. "Zaalbar? What is it? What's the matter? Do you know this guy she's talking about?"

Zaalbar roared his answer to Mission.

"He is not of my tribe, but I do know of him. He is an outcast and exile of my people," he told her angrily in his native Shyriiwook. "He slaughtered his entire tribe, including the young. He claimed it was to save them from being enslaved. Madness…" He glared at Mira.

Mission looked to her, surprised. "You work with someone like that?"

Mira started to shake her head when the angry wookiee in front of her turned to leave the room.

"Leave her, Mission. We will find other means to locate—"

"Wait!" Mira said loudly. "Just wait a sec. I was just testing you. I don't have any partner."

Mission crossed her arms and stared hard at Mira.

Mira tried to explain herself. "Hanharr was the only one of your kind I've ever met. We weren't exactly friends. So when I saw you were of the same species he was, I needed to get an honest reaction from you on him. If I had decided to take you on as a partner and you ended up being just as crazy as he was, I'd be royally screwed. But you've convinced me that you are nothing like him."

"And why should we believe you?" Mission asked her saucily.

"Two reasons: One, I wouldn't need a partner if I already had a big hulking mass of fur following me around. You and Zaalbar don't seem to need a lot of help. You really think a Jedi and a… whatever you are," she said motioning to Zaalbar. "would need much assistance? And two, Hanharr couldn't be my partner anyway. I killed him about a year ago."

The three of them stood in silence for what seemed an eternity. Then Mission interrupted the quiet.

"I don't know, Big Z. I think we can trust her."

Zaalbar didn't answer and continued to stare at Mira. Mira returned his gaze. He then slowly nodded his agreement to Mission, never taking his eyes off of the bounty-hunter-turned-Jedi.

"If you say so, Mission. But I will be watching you, flame-haired female. Maybe you killed Hanharr, maybe not. Your actions in the future will prove your worth to me."

"Whatever gets you off, big guy. You wouldn't be the first male who couldn't keep his eyes off me. Just don't forget that you also have a job to do and we should get along fine."

The wookiee grunted in abhorrence at the girl. She was far too hairless and four breasts shy of beautiful in his book.

"So we got the job, then?" Mission asked.

"If you want it, it's yours, kid. Sorry, _Mission_," she corrected quickly at the angry look Mission shot her. She sat back down at her table, Mission also taking her seat once more. "We can go over the fine details in a little bit. For now, I'm curious about who you're wanting to find."

Mission and Zaalbar glanced at each other quickly before focusing on Mira once more. Mission leaned in close to her, lowering her voice to a near hush. "We're looking for a good friend of ours. She went by Mercee Sindal for awhile, but you would know her by her real name, Revan…"

X X X X X

Visas was sitting alone in the apartment she shared with Mical on Telos. She was trying, rather unsuccessfully, to meditate. Lately, she had been feeling… called. She couldn't quite explain it. It was something, or someone, trying to get through to her through the Force. It was not unlike what she felt nearly two years ago when she first detected Liara's presence. What set this apart was it was a deliberate calling, whereas Liara had been unintentionally sending out waves through the Force.

Visas had been feeling this disturbance for a few days now. But each time she tried to concentrate on it and follow the call to its source, she would become distracted and lose the thread. Usually she excelled at meditation. Lately, however, her relationship with Mical had her unable to focus for long on any one thing.

For the past year, she and Mical had been living together on Telos. They helped Chodo Habat with his restoration efforts when they could, kept in contact with Admiral Carth Onasi on things from Telos's progress to news from Liara, and continued their Jedi training together. They had even "adopted" a four-year-old zeltron boy named Ashur.

Visas had first detected the young boy three months ago due to his force-sensitivity. She had felt it calling to her while she and Mical were heading home from visiting with Moza. Ashur had been sitting in a dark alley alone, tearing into a pastry that he had either stolen or was given to him. He was dirty and small, but his heritage was still very evident from his dusky red skin, purple hair that was so dark it was almost black, and violet eyes.

And his demeanor was trademark zeltron. Once he saw Visas, his little face lit up and he smiled, knowing even at the tender age of four how to charm the opposite sex. Visas and Mical couldn't help but be won over by the charismatic child. Ashur had accompanied them home that night so that he wasn't on the streets and it easily became a permanent arrangement. Mical had once asked Ashur why he never tried to be taken in by anyone else. Ashur had simply replied that the people before Mical and Visas were not who he was meant to go with. As for his short life history, he refused to answer any questions. Mical still tried to this day to get something out of him, but Visas respected his need for privacy and left the subject matter alone.

And so it was that Visas and Mical became the surrogate parents of Ashur. While he was about average intelligence, he was extremely streetwise and enigmatic. One could already see the handsome man he would one day become. Like all zeltrons, he could produce pheromones at will thus making him even more adorable. He had done this often while living on the street in order to obtain food from others. As for his force-sensitivity, Mical and Visas both took it upon themselves to train him, occasionally seeking guidance from Chodo on the matter. He had a hard time with his studies, as he preferred to have fun, but he was a quick-learner.

Visas couldn't be happier. She had grown comfortable with being Ashur's caretaker, taking joy in the new role. She was also content with where her relationship with Mical was going. In the beginning, things had been going so perfectly that Visas lived in almost constant fear that something was going to happen to shatter her happiness. After many months however, she finally began to let her guard down and allow herself to love the fact that Mical loved her and would never betray her. She had stopped looking for ulterior motives behind every sweet nothing he whispered to her. She had stopped wondering what he could possibly see in her when she was so damaged. And best of all, she had stopped seeing herself as damaged.

That is, until about a month ago when Mical began acting distant. He was still as affectionate as always, but lately he would disappear for a few hours without letting her know where he was going or what he was doing. If she tried to ask any questions, he would become evasive and his answers were always vague.

Like today, for instance. Mical told Visas he was taking Ashur to meet with Chodo Habat to discuss more complex lesson plans for Ashur's training. But Visas happened to know for a fact that Habat was meeting with some people from the planet Ithor about an issue with a previous shipment of wildlife.

She did not confront him with the hole in his alibis because she was unsure what to accuse him off. Was he seeing someone else? Was he losing interest in her? Or was it a simple matter of the honeymoon stage wearing off and the two of them becoming complacent with each other?

None of the possibilities soothed Visas's worried mind.

So she tried to put Mical out of her mind for the time being and focus on the signal she had been receiving through the Force. With little effort she was able to locate the broadcast again. The trial came when she tried to follow it to its source once again.

Visas followed the echoes, further and further, straining to keep with it and not lose concentration. She reached and probed, endeavoring to locate the origin. She could feel herself getting closer, though a few times she nearly lost the connection. But she managed to keep with it, continuing toward the end.

_So close, _she thought. _I am nearing the beginning of this outreach. Follow the eddies, go with the currents. Nearly there, do not lose it!_

Visas gasped as she finally detected the source. She stood quickly, breaking her connection to the thread. She could scarcely believe it, but knew she was not wrong about who was sending out the call.

She opened the door to her apartment and began down the hall, using her Force Sight to scan for Mical. Once she was able to reveal to Mical who it was, he would probably want to notify Admiral Onasi and Mandalore…

"Visas! I was just coming to get you!" she heard Mical shout from further down the corridor. She continued her walk toward him, wondering briefly what he had been up to.

"Where's Ashur?" she asked him once he was in front of her.

"Oh, he's playing at the park with a few children. I had something I had to take care of so the widow Haptom is watching him."

Visas just looked at him. He had told her before he left that he was taking Ashur to train and now she finds that he had things to take care of so he left him with Mrs. Haptom. She opened her mouth to ask him about his sudden change in plans when he took hold of her hand.

"Come, my love, there is something I must show you," he told her quietly as he led her along.

Visas thought about jerking her hand away and demanding answers to his strange behavior, but she couldn't bring herself to question the man who meant so much to her.

Mical took her through the complex and then called for a shuttle to the outside. Visas momentarily forgot her issues with Mical as she took in the beauty of the planet's restored environment. It was still enclosed by the planetary shields Bao-Dur had designed long ago, but that fact did nothing to diminish the landscape.

Mical pulled to a stop in the grass near the beaches and helped Visas from the shuttle. Still holding her hand, he walked with her along the shore. He commented here and there about different plants and animals that had been integrated successfully into Telos' habitat. But Visas scarcely heard him, still trying to decide if she wanted to say anything about his earlier lies.

He brought her around a grouping of large boulders on the sandy beach, revealing a blanket with an array of food set out. And in the middle of the blanket was a vase with a very plain and almost ugly flower. It was good size, though not in bloom. Its petals were closed tightly and the only color to be seen was gray.

Visas turned quickly to Mical. "Mical, what is all this?"

He smiled at her suspicious expression. "Just a little something I have been planning. Do you like it?"

Visas only looked at him before looking back to the flower. "I truly do not know what to say. Is this why you have been lying about your whereabouts?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Mical's face turned red. "You knew I lied, did you? Yes, well, I could not very well tell you I was planning a surprise for you. It would not have been as meaningful had you known, I think. I do apologize for my deceit. I hope you can forgive me."

Still stunned from his surprise as well as relieved this was his only reason for fibbing before, all she could do was gesture to the flower. "That is…a very unusual flower."

Mical smiled again, stooping to pick it up. "It is a very _special_ flower. It is called _Verum Formosita_. Or simply Alethea. It is actually one of the most rare and beautiful flowers in the universe. It is not much to look at while closed, but when it opens up, it is quite a different story. It is breathtaking, words cannot possibly describe it."

He plucked the flower from the vase and set the vase back on the ground. Then he handed it to Visas, still explaining the bloom's properties.

"You see," he continued. "While it is growing, it is open. But once fully mature, it closes up tightly and will not bloom again except under one condition…"

Visas gasped as the flower slowly began to unfurl its petals.

Mical placed his hand over hers. "It will only open in the presence of two people who are really and truly in love with one another."

She was once again rendered speechless as she looked from Mical back to the flower. It was almost completely open now and Mical was right about the outside belying its true splendor.

There were many petals and each was bright and vivid colors. They ranged from purples and blues to pinks and reds. And each petal looked to have diamonds sewn onto the outer edges, though Mical explained it was simply the petals' designs.

Visas was about to try to articulate to Mical how much such a gift meant to her when she noticed something in the middle of the flower. She looked closer and was surprised at seeing a gold ring tucked inside of it. Gently so as not to damage the flower's stunning petals, she took the ring from it. She looked to Mical questioningly.

"It took very careful planning on my part to get this ring in there before it closed but not so soon that it might have gotten lost in the fray," he told her.

He took the ring from her and took a knee, taking her left hand in his. "Visas, we have gone through so much together. We have travelled all over the galaxy, fought together, bled together. We saved the Republic together. And now that things have calmed down somewhat, we have even taken on the responsibility of a child together. And I would have it no other way. I love you, Visas Marr. You are my match and my opposite. We are the same and yet you are everything I am not. I know that should we ever part, I would never feel whole again. So I must ask you: Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Visas could only look at him, stunned. "Mical, I… Are you certain this is what you want?"

He gently squeezed her hand. "More than anything, my love. But if words are not enough to sway you, and with you they so rarely are, then I think the flower speaks for itself."

She looked at the flower again before going back to him. "Yes, Mical. Yes, yes, yes."

He smiled as he let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He pulled her glove off and slid the ring onto her finger before standing once more and kissing her. "You have just made me so incredibly happy! I cannot wait to tell Ashur!" he told her eagerly.

She laughed, something she was doing more and more of these days as she rested her head onto his chest.

"I'm sorry if this is not done by Miraluka customs, but I'm afraid I am unfamiliar with them. Humans typically wear a ring around the ring finger on the left hand because that is the one finger that has a vein going directly to the heart. So I—"

Visas kissed him, putting an end to his apology. "Do not apologize. That is a very beautiful practice you humans have. And one that I have no issue with partaking in." She laid her head back onto his chest. "This is honestly the best day I can ever remember having."

"Well, I had planned on us having a romantic dinner here, but I am so excited that I just want to hurry to everyone and spread the good news."

His words reminded Visas of what she had set out to find him for in the first place. She pulled away from him quickly.

"Wait, Mical, there is something I must tell you. I told you I had been detecting a signal or call of some sorts through the Force."

He gave her a quizzical look at the abrupt change in subject. "Yes, I recall."

"I finally traced it to its source! Though it defies all explanation, it came from none other than Revan…"

X X X X X

"Some of our scouts came across this one in the jungle," Kelborn said to Mandalore, bringing a young girl into the room. He had carried her in over his shoulders and stopped in front of Mandalore, depositing the child firmly on the ground.

Canderous barely acknowledged her, his mind on his clan. "Why are you wasting my time, Kelborn? Send her to Kex and have her put to work. I have other matters to attend to."

Kelborn did not shy away from his leader. "Supposedly, our scouts found her right as she was taking down a maalraas."

Canderous looked to the girl again, this time taking a moment to examine her more closely.

He judged her to be about nine or ten years old, but he was not familiar enough with children to make a real guess. She was gangly and plain, but there was a fierceness in her eyes as she stared back at him that Canderous couldn't help but admire. She was definitely not in the least bit afraid of her situation.

"A maalraas, eh?" he asked Kelborn.

"Yes, Mandalore. It was not full grown so not as big a threat as it could have been, but she took it down all the same. The scouts said she used a homemade blade to knife it in the gut and again in the throat when it rushed her. They said she didn't show the slightest hint of fear."

The girl glared at Kelborn. "Why would I be afraid of an overgrown kitty? Should I've been? Does that mean you are?"

Kelborn made no move that he had even heard the girl, but Canderous made it immediately clear that he did not appreciate her words.

"Mandalorians do not fear that which is weaker, and most of the animals that inhabit this jungle fall into that category," he told her firmly. "Now, while one should never be afraid to speak their mind, you will show the proper respect afforded to one of Kelborn's rank."

She glowered at him but did not talk back.

"Good girl," Canderous told her before turning his attention back to his clanmate. "Why did you bring her to me, Kelborn? Were you thinking she should be adopted by the clan?"

Kelborn shrugged. "Must we only recruit full grown adults? Though we continue to grow in number, we are still few. And we have even less women. I think she would do well as one of us."

"You may be right, Kelborn. Do you have someone in mind to keep watch over her?"

"I don't know what you're talking of doing with me," the girl interjected. "But I'll let you know now that the last guy that tried to make me his slave was killed by me. Just like the big jungle cat was."

"We were actually speaking of taking you in as one of our own and training you in the ways of the Mandalorians," Canderous told her gruffly. "And if your last master was too weak to defend himself against a child, then he deserved to die."

The girl did not seem offended at his words. "That's what I thought, too." she said, nodding a bit. "That's one of the reasons I don't feel bad for doing him in."

Canderous turned to Kelborn. "She will fit right in, I think. Provided the training doesn't kill her." He looked back to her. "What's your name kid? And how old are you?"

"I'm eleven and my name is Nessira."

"Nessira, I am Mandalore the Preserver, leader of the Mandalorians. The man behind you is called Kelborn, he is my second in command. As a Mandalorian, you will learn to fight. You will learn to defend. You will learn military tactics, both Mandalorian and other cultures'. The training is arduous and potentially fatal, but it helps weed out the weak and unworthy. While we will find someone to take care of all of your immediate needs, everyone here will be your family. We will look out for you and you will be expected to do the same. Pull your weight and always strive to prove your worth and you will do fine."

Nessira looked back at him, saying nothing at first. Then, repeating what she had heard Kelborn say to Canderous moments ago, said, "Yes, Mandalore."

Canderous went back to ignoring her and addressed Kelborn. "Find someone to place her with. Her training will start immediately."

"Yes, Mandalore," Kleborn said. He then placed a hand on Nessira's shoulder and steered her out of the room.

Once he was alone, Canderous went to the monitors on the far side of the room and surveyed his clan and home.

They had indeed grown in number since he had assumed control of the dying race. Every month brought new faces to the clan, new resources, and new equipment. Canderous made them train hard, always honing their bodies and minds for battle. He focused on physical training and had his men learn other races cultures and military procedures.

For the most part, he encountered little resistance to his leadership. He occasionally had to show a few of the younger Mandalorians who was boss and once had to battle one veteran Mandalorian who thought he was better suited for the title of Mandalore. But all in all, his word was law.

There was only one thing that Canderous was doing that ever garnered a major reaction from his people: having a jedi help to train them.

Canderous understood the clan's incredulity at being taught anything by someone of the peace-loving order. Many years ago, he would have sided with them on the matter. Not that he let on that he was in anyway sympathetic. He stood firm on the decision and brokered no argument from anyone on the subject. He had battled enough Jedi, and fought beside some as well, to have learned from his mistake of underestimating them. It was a mistake he did not wish his people to continue to repeat. But in all honesty, the idea to have a Jedi train his men was not his own.

Canderous thought back to the day that Bao-Dur had been buried, the day that he had been approached with the suggestion.

After the service, he and Carth Onasi had been speaking to each other, each feeling the other out for news of Revan. In the middle of their discussion, Carth received a message. Canderous remembered watching as Carth's expression went from one of dutiful stoicism to one of barely concealed excitement. Initially, Carth's enthusiasm meant nothing to Canderous. The concerns of the Republic were of no concern to him. But what Carth said to him after closing the message made his mood match Onasi's.

Jolee Bindo was on Telos. And he had news of Revan.

Canderous could barely recall telling Liara and her group goodbye as he and Republic hurried to meet Jolee. Neither spoke to the other, each too consumed in his own thoughts.

What would Jolee tell them? Did he know where Revan was? Was she going to ask for them to come battle at her side? Had she finally chosen between them?

Was she dead?

The shuttle ride took forever and the elevators after that seemed to take even longer. But finally, they caught sight of the crotchety old man.

After their first greetings to each other, Jolee made several attempts to tell them why he had come before veering off topic onto one thing or another. And every time he did, Canderous had to bluntly remind Jolee to get to the point before there was bodily harm done. This of course did little to speed Bindo along.

Eventually, Canderous and Carth were able to get the whole story out of Jolee. Revan was indeed alive and had used the Force to communicate with him. She had given him two messages to deliver, one for Carth and one for Canderous.

To Carth, she had simply reminded him to keep the Republic aware of the danger it still faced and not to grow too complacent. That the true enemy would reveal itself soon, possibly sooner than the Republic had to recoup.

As for Canderous, she let him know that the Mandalorians had a part to play in the upcoming war. She made it known that their foes threatened not only the Republic, but the entire galaxy, including Canderous' people. Then, through Jolee, she dropped the bomb that she wanted Canderous to accept the old man as a teacher for his men. Jolee was to help train his men against Force users, as well as stifle any more misconceptions that the Jedi and Sith were weak due to their reliance on the Force. She knew that the Mandalorians downfall was due, in part, to their underestimating users of the Force.

Canderous couldn't argue with her since she wasn't present, though he did tell Jolee, quite forcefully, that he wasn't training his men to do a damn thing. But after he thought about it, he decided it wasn't such a bad idea. Since it was coming from Revan. If anyone else had suggested it, he would have felt differently.

To his and Carth's disappointment, Revan did not say anything to either of them on a more personal note. But Canderous understood. It was not the time to be soft and sentimental. Not when there were battles to be won.

Thinking of Revan and Jolee prompted Canderous to head over to the old man's training grounds. As he neared he could see Jolee and Davrel practicing in the Battle Circle. Neither were armed and Canderous knew that Bindo was not using his powers. Canderous had seen that it was a major lesson in humility and of the Jedi's physical prowess when Liara had taken part in the Battle Circle. So if Revan wanted to quell suspicions on Force Users being weak, he knew this was a good place to do it.

He watched as Jolee calmly and easily dodged and blocked all of Davrel's attacks. Jolee had not even broken a sweat and Davrel was clearly out of breath. Finally, when Davrel swung and missed for the umpteenth time, Bindo quickly smacked him upside the head.

"By Mandalore's honor old man!" Davrel said, bringing a hand up to his head where Jolee had hit him.

Jolee shook a gnarled finger in Davrel's face. "Don't you 'By Mandalore's Honor' me, boy! I've told you over and over that you are not some raging boma beast who just attacks and doesn't think! If repeating myself won't work then by the Force the back of my hand will get the job done!"

Davrel scowled at him but said nothing, still trying to catch his breath.

"You know," Bindo continued as he watched Canderous approach them. "You remind me of a certain assassin droid I once traveled with while fighting beside Revan. Now mind you, he was a tad harsher, what with his 'Shall I blast him now, master?' and 'Shall we find something to kill to cheer ourselves up, master?' But still, your approach to battle is much the same. I remember a time when our ship had been overrun by gizka—"

"No!" Davrel interrupted. "No, no, no. Not another one of your tales. I would rather slit my wrists and bleed out slowly than listen to you prattle on about the good ol' days again!"

This remark earned him another smack to the side of the head.

Canderous grinned from beneath his helmet. "Resorting to torture to teach my clansmen, are you, Jedi?"

"Hmph!" Jolee crossed his arms while he eyed Davrel. "Depends on what you mean by torture. If you're referring to my hand coming in contact with a few hard heads here and there, I would hardly call that abuse. If you're getting lippy about my stories, I have more than a few about you that I can share with your people."

"And when you do my boot will come in contact with your wrinkly backside," Canderous warned, completely serious.

Jolee waved him off. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of undermining your authority. Now, did you come down for a particular reason, son? Or have you come to watch me age?"

"I came to make sure you're proving as useful as Revan claimed."

"I think I'm old enough to know what I'm doing by now. Davrel here is doing better than I'm letting on. He's learning to withstand a few of my mind tricks. And he's strong and eager to prove himself."

Davrel puffed up with pride at Jolee's words to Mandalore.

Canderous turned to the young Mandalorian. "Resisting the Force's mind tricks is all well and good, but don't get too cocky. You still have a long way to go if you can't manage to hit a man who is old enough to be your great-grandfather."

Davrel's ego deflated right before their eyes. But he took his Mandalore's words in stride and simply said, "Yes, Mandalore."

Canderous nodded to Jolee to carry on and continued his survey of his compound. Yes, his clan was growing in number and strength. Maybe one day their strength would surpass the Mandalorians' before the war with the Republic.

_Revan, when you need me, I'll be ready. I'm your man until the end. No matter how this plays out…_

X X X X X

Atton smiled as he watched Liara pace nervously back and forth in the main hold. She had brought him in from the cockpit a few minutes ago to tell him something, but she hadn't quite gotten to whatever it was she wanted to say. He wondered briefly if she was going to try and leave him again.

Over the past year their search for Revan had taken them all over the galaxy. And every time they landed, she would try, in vain, to leave him. The last planet they were on she had even attempted to get him drunk in a small cantina so she could slip out unnoticed and take off. Atton had thought that was her game so he had insisted she drink with him.

She was a Jedi, true, but her inexperience with alcohol was her undoing. She matched Atton drink for drink. Atton had laughed to see her face flushed and her eyes glassy. And he could barely stay in his seat when she started slurring her words. She had eventually claimed that she needed to leave to use the restroom than had boldly walked out of the cantina, like Atton couldn't see her. He followed her of course, staying in the shadows because seeing her so inebriated was simply too entertaining. She stumbled her and there and cussed at a few buildings and plants that tripped her up, but never actually fell and ultimately made it to the Ebon Hawk. Once she got in the pilot's seat, Atton made his presence known and stopped her from leaving. She had gotten so frustrated and, fueled by the alcohol, had tried to physically remove Atton from the ship, raising her voice and telling him that she didn't want to risk his death with whatever Revan was doing. This proved fruitless and in the end, their struggles turned into something passionate and…well, it was one hell of a night. And morning.

For the most part, they stayed in space, usually only landing when they had to replenish fuel or resources. Some of the planets they stopped at were so far removed that Atton wasn't even positive they had ever been identified by the Republic.

The planet they were on now, for instance, couldn't be named by the ship's navicomputer. But Atton knew for sure this was where they were supposed to be. T3-M4, with the assisstance of HK-47 and his ability to mimic Revan's voice, had finally unlocked the Ebon Hawk's navicomputer, allowing them to see where the ship had been. This planet was the last one visited before being taken in on Peragus. However, if Revan was still here remained to be seen. A lot of time had passed since the ship had left her possession…

Atton and Liara had explored the nearby areas and found the planet to be wild and full of jungles. From what they could tell, no one had ever tried to settle in this area. Aside from a few animals, all of which were aggressive, they found no signs of life.

Which made Atton think again of the possibilty that she might abandon him here. He knew she wouldn't leave him on such an isolated planet so he wondered again at what had her so agitated.

Could it be that she was unhappy? Atton himself was happier than he had ever been. He had worried for awhile that he might grow bored with Liara as time went by but that had proven false. If anything, he relied on her more and more each day. She was his peace and that fact didn't bother him anymore. His happiness being dependent on her was fine with him now. And Atton felt deep inside that she was content as well. Even with the constant reminder of his flaws, such as his yellow eyes, she loved him.

Yes, his eyes were still yellow. In their hurry to reach Revan, there hadn't been much time for good deeds. So they hadn't changed back to their usual color. He was self-conscious about it at first, but Liara soothed his fears by telling him she thought it was kind of sexy.

So what was her deal?

Liara stopped her pacing and faced him, wringing her hands. Her anxiety was starting to make Atton nervous. She was normally more in control of herself than this.

"Atton," she started. "You know how I feel about you. You know that I have never asked for anything from you and I want you to know that all of that still applies."

Atton narrowed his eyes at her. "Okaaay."

"I—" she faltered a little under his gaze. She let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Atton gave her a slow smile. "How could I forget? You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I even remember what you were wearing."

Liara tried not to grin and instead rolled her eyes. "I was wearing nothing but my bra and panties."

"Your _wet _bra and panties. We can't forget that. It's still my favorite thing for you to wear."

She started her pacing again. "I just never could have imagined way back then that we would be where we are now."

Atton went up behind her and put his arms around her. "You know, all this talk of when we first met has me in the mood to do other things."

"Atton, no. This is serious," she told him as she moved to pull away from him. His arms tightened around her to keep her from leaving his embrace.

He pulled her hair away from her neck and kissed her right below her ear while pressing her back against him.

"No," she said again. "I have to say this."

Atton turned her around so she was facing him. "No, you don't. if it has you this upset, I don't think I want to know. Whatever it is will pass. Everything'll be fine."

He bent his head down to hers to kiss her.

"I'm pregnant," she told him, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

Atton stood up straight and looked at her, sure he had heard her wrong. "What did you just say?"

Having finally gotten the words out, most of Liara's nervousness left her. She looked at him calmly and repeated, "I'm pregnant."

He merely blinked at her a few times, still unable to grasp what she was telling him. "I don't understand," he started slowly. "How you can be pregnant? I—"

"Surprised Statement: Surely the meatbag pilot is aware that the act in which he partakes so very frequently with my master can result in offspring," HK-47 explained, having walked in at the end of the conversation.

Atton glared at the droid. "I know how it happened!" He turned back to Liara to further question her when HK continued his lecture.

"Mocking Query: Indeed? I was starting to wonder if humans were aware that intercourse resulted in conception, what with all the unplanned children running around. Are you not aware then that there are steps you can take to prevent pregnancy?"

"Of course we're aware, you homicidal idiot!" Atton replied loudly. "Which is why I don't understand how this happened! Lee," he said, his voice softening a bit. "You always used the Force to keep from getting knocked up."

She gave him a small smile. "Well, my guess is that I conceived that night over a month ago when I got very drunk and tried to leave you. I doubt that in my drunken haze I remembered to do it before we…" her voice trailed off.

_That's probably exactly what happened. _Atton thought. _Well, it was one hell of a night. And morning._

Liara looked him in the eye, her face impassive. "Like I said, I expect nothing from you. I know having a baby is the last thing you want, but I will be having this child. So I can drop you off—"

"You're wrong. The last thing I want is to become old and feeble and unable to perform. But yeah, having a kid is pretty up there on that list, Lee."

"Observation: Perhaps, given the present circumstances, you should want to be unable to perform. Then you would not be in the mess you are in now," HK-47 offered helpfully.

Atton gave him a hard look. "Why don't you shut it, HK?"

He took a deep breath and looked back to the woman who had changed his life in so many ways. He couldn't believe she was pregnant. She was carrying his child. _Their _child. Atton stared, still looking for the words to say.

"Look," Liara said. "I told you I want nothing from you. You didn't ask to be tied down so I will drop you off at the next settled planet. I don't need you."

"Well I need you! Dammit, Lee!" He ran a hand through his hair and made a frustrated sound. "You have told me many times that you don't need me and that I'm free to go whenever. All I have to do is ask. But you are everything to me! I'll admit that one of the first things that attracted me to you was that you weren't trying to be pushy and needy with me. But we are way past that. And you know what? It would be really nice if you wanted me and needed me like I do you."

Her mask of indifference crumbled as she listened to him. She reached for his hand and brought it to her lips. Then she looked back to him, still holding his hand in hers. "I'm so sorry, Atton. I never meant for you to believe I didn't need you or want you. I just never wanted you to stay with me out of obligation. And you know that being trained as a Jedi, I am still learning how to express my emotions. The truth is that I do need you. I love you."

Atton pulled her to him and hugged her. They didn't say anything for a few moments. But Atton finally broke the silence. "Damn, Lee. A kid? I'm not saying I don't want to be with you or anything, but man, this is big."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I know you well enough to know you didn't plan on this. It is what it is. I just can't believe it, that's all. I never wanted kids. Not because I don't like them, but because I didn't want to be responsible for someone else like that. I mean, this kid is going to learn how to act and what to do from us."

Liara pulled back from him a little so she could look him in the eye. "You'll do fine. I know you'll be a great father."

He released her and sat down in one of the hold's chairs, his head in his hands. "Come on! What if we have a boy? He's going to learn how to be a man from me. And I'm not the best example mankind has to offer."

"Statement: Master, I must agree with the pilot meatbag," HK-47 said. "He is most definitely not what your son should strive to emulate. However, I am here and will be able to teach your son many wonderful things. I would find it enjoyable indeed to have a meatbag companion who is a little like me."

Atton looked at HK for several seconds before looking to Liara. "Do you see what our son has waiting for him? A mother who is constantly putting herself in harm's way, a father who can't even take care of himself, and a maniacal tin can 'uncle.' This isn't helping me to be ok with this."

"Acknowledgement: Yes, bringing a boy into this universe that has a great chance of becoming like you is enough to frighten anyone. But cheer up, meatbag, there is a fifty percent chance you will have a daughter. Then your only job will be to shield her from men like you."

Atton jumped up. "Would you get the hell outta here?"

"As the father-to-be desires," HK replied as he left the room, playing a telosian lullaby on his audio output.

Atton stared at Liara, his face pale. "He's right! What if it's a girl?"

She laughed as she walked up to him. "Calm down, Atton. It will be ok. Boy or girl, you will be a wonderful father. Our son would gain so much from you. Loyalty, passion, the drive to keep going even when things look their worst. And if we have a girl she—"

"If we have a girl she's going straight to a convent!" he interrupted.

Liara continued to smile. "Atton…"

"I can't believe this. I'm going to be a father," Atton said almost to himself. He stared at Liara's belly like it was the first time he had ever seen it. He was reaching a hand out to touch her stomach when T3-M4 came whirring in.

Atton completely ignored the chirps and beeps T3 emitted, assuming that HK had sent the little trash can in to tease him some more. "Get lost, droid. Me and Liara are talking right now."

"Atton, wait," Liara said as she listened to T3-M4. He continued his droid speak to her. After he finished, Liara's hand went to her lightsaber. "He said he saw someone board the ship on the security cameras."

Atton drew a blaster. "Lee, go wait in the cockpit while I look around."

"That won't be necessary," a figure said, emerging from the shadows down the hall. "I'm right here."

Liara gasped when she saw the woman step into the light of the main hold.

Atton had never met her before but he still knew who she was. One didn't forget a woman as beautiful and powerful as her.

Revan, the Dark Lord and Prodigal Knight had returned…

_A/N: I apologize for how long this last chapter took. For obvious reasons, I was not quite in the mood to finish it up. But I have now, and how bittersweet it is. My first piece of fanfiction has finally been completed! I hope this chapter does not disappoint and it is enjoyed as much as the others. Again, Brittany, this is for you…_

_**EragonPeep**__, Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much and think I did a good job. Yes, this is the last chapter __ But as they say, all good things must come to an end… Thank you for reading!_

_**Leeirane**__, Did Liara give up so easily? I guess it all depends on who you ask, lol. Anyways, thanks for reading and leaving me a comment. Glad you enjoyed it!_

_**Whiteshade24**__, I love Atton, too! Woot for the flyboy! And yay for Mical and Visas being together! And boo for being glad I killed Bao! I'm just kidding, to each his own! I guess that just means there is more Bao for me, then! Ha! At least you liked that, I couldn't ask for more! Thanks for reviewing and for reading!_

_**LilliaJohnson**__, I thought it might be a tad cruel to only post one chapter when things were getting heated, so I posted both chapters. JUST FOR YOU! Thank BioWare for me not killing anyone else off, because if it was canon, I probably would have done it. And I actually wrote some lines you were jealous of? That is one of the best compliments I've ever gotten! Thanks for everything!_

_**Dark-Huntress Moony**__, lol, glad you're still loving the story. Hope you still do now that it's over. I appreciate you reading and reviewing!_

_**Akimi Butterfly**__, of course I'm not going to let Atton die! He's much too awesome and he's the father of my fanfiction babies! As for Bao, denial can bring a lot of happiness, so yes, fly away Bao! Continue your planetary reconstruction! And thank you for your well wishes on my grandmother. She is in remission as of now, so yay! And thanks for all the comments and reviews!_

_**Akeem20**__, I know the news of my sister is of no surprise to you since I told you a while back that it had happened. Thank you for your condolences and for the nice things you said about her. It really meant a lot…_

_Anyways, I'm always so relieved to hear good things from you on what I've written. And I'm glad the previous two chapters were no exception. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH THIS STORY IN ITS ENTIRETY! It's been a very long trial and you have truly been a great source of confidence for me as I tried out my writing wings. And you know how much it means to me that you are inspired by what I do. I hope your writer's block has cleared, and you know if you need help through any of your written endeavors, you need only ask, now that things are settling down for me. Thanks again so much!_

_**Brjto**__, I don't believe I've heard from you before. So thanks for stopping by and letting me know what you thought. I'm glad you've liked what you've read so far!_

_**Artliyon-Rand**__, Yes, I post on deviantart, kotorfanmedia, and this website. I'm glad you're letting me know how much you like it on two fronts ;P_

_**Neko-hime-cfi**__, I LOVE YOU, TOO, lol! I do know that the group was to be responsible for training new Jedi, but I actually just went with Kreia's predictions on everyone, taking a few liberties here and there. Hope you don't mind. And I'm so relieved that most people like how I portrayed Atton, huge relief! Thank you so much for reading and letting me know what you thought!_

_**Thorn of the Gods**__, you gave me such a wonderful compliment! It is too awesome that you read through everything like that! Thanks for making my day! And yes, poor Bao!_

_**Writtenrhythm**__, tee hee! I'm glad to see my attempts at putting numerous elements in here worked out well. From romantic to humorous to HOLY CRAP! And I hope my ending satisfies…_

_**Harlequin in Chains**__, I know the review you posted was actually for Chapter 2, but since you posted it recently, I'm responding to it on here. Thank you for the kudos and I'm glad you like my work! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you liked the rest of it!_

_**Ujemaima**__, yay! You gave me a review for both chapters 17 and 18! You are forgiven for your delay in commenting, obviously with how long I took I can hardly cast stones __ I'm glad you've stuck with me for so long on here, even with my occasional long absences. And I might decide to do a sequel, which is why I left it wide open for one! So we'll see. But thank you for all the feedback and for reading! I hope the ending doesn't disappoint…_

_**Princess Ashira**__, thank you for such a nice comment. I did manage to finish it (finally) and can only apologize to everyone again for the amount of time it took. But thank you for reading and for letting me know I still have people waiting to read how it ends, lol!_


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